Towards the Dawn
by Solvdrage
Summary: In a world scarred by a more devastating Kirigakure Civil War, the lives of Naruto and Hinata are forever altered. Naruto has embraced fuinjutsu to focus his energies. Hinata, still inspired by but separated from Naruto, has grown into a self-confident and graceful young woman. How will their destinies unfold when they are reunited years later?
1. Chapter 1

**V2.0 Author's Note:** Thanks everyone who pointed out the errors in this chapter. They have now been edited.

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><p>The sun rose over the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The citizens of the oldest and most storied of the shinobi villages prided themselves on their discipline and spirit of community; their Will of Fire. However, sense of community was a human creation and as such was flawed. The most obvious manifestation of this tragedy was Konoha's reaction to the wounds of the Kyūbi's attack. The bijū's wrath had fallen upon the village without warning or reason. At least, this was the belief of the village at large. Their sense of community unified Konoha in mourning, even at the expense of a child.<p>

Uzumaki Naruto was this child.

He walked amongst the villagers and was seemingly impervious to their apathy, their sneers of derision, and their cruel whispers. Naruto continued to walk towards his destination with a broad smile adorning his face. The aspiring ninja reached the building and threw open the door.

"Sorry I'm late!"

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Hong, owner of one of Konoha's largest blacksmith shops, emerged from the back room. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and pulled a scroll out of his interior jacket pocket.

"It's just re-introductions. I know how it'll go. The girls will go nuts over Sasuke. Shikamaru will sleep through it, Kiba will blab about Akamaru, and I'll just be bored," Naruto scoffed as he pushed a bit of chakra into the scroll. There was a puff of smoke and a dozen storage scrolls appeared on top of original scroll.

"Storage scrolls within storage scrolls?" Hong snorted.

"Try not to think about it too hard. Always gives me a headache," Naruto confided in the blacksmith.

"Eh, kid, how many people know you are good at fuinjutsu?" Hong asked as he checked the storage scrolls.

"Old Man Hokage, you, and Iruka-sensei," Naruto answered. "Now, if my scrolls have passed your visual inspection…"

"Same quality as always," Hong said appreciatively. "I'll probably sell out by the end of the week. What with a Chuunin Exam coming up and all."

"So I've heard," Naruto said with a smile. "How many more will you need?"

Hong counted out a number of ryō notes. "As many as you can make," the blacksmith handed the bills over to Naruto.

"A pleasure doing business with you," Naruto said with a huge smile as he finished counting the bills. The blacksmith nodded and took the scrolls. Naruto didn't let his smile slip into a grimace until he was in sight of the Academy. The Academy wasn't the source of his annoyance. It was Hong. Naruto had seen the mark-ups the blacksmith had put on the scrolls Naruto produced. Hong was making a ridiculous profit on the scrolls.

'_He could afford to give me a few more ryō per scroll,'_ Naruto thought in annoyance. However, all he could do was grin and bear it. Hong was the only customer he had found for his scrolls. Naruto had attempted to offer his services to several other shops, but had been refused entry. Naruto had taken the hint and searched elsewhere.

The outcast orphan pushed open the Academy doors and expected to get _some_ kind of reaction for his forceful and late entry. Instead, there was a crowd hovering around the middle of room. Naruto always preferred to be the center of attention, so he made his way to the gaggle of his classmates. As he headed to the confrontation, he noticed that Iruka-sensei wasn't in the room.

'_Probably why this is even happening,'_ Naruto observed as he jumped up on a nearby desk to get a good view of the action.

"What?" Naruto heard Sasuke ask.

"I said no. Is that so hard to understand, Sasuke-san?" a girl's voice said rather firmly. That _really_ got Naruto's attention. Naruto would have never expected a girl to turn down Sasuke.

Naruto chewed the inside of his lip as he tried to place the girl's voice. _'Ah, I think it's that Hyūga girl. I can't really remember her name, either Hikari or Hinata. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's the second one.'_

Naruto wasn't really familiar with Hinata. She mostly kept to herself and was really quiet. Naruto had heard that she worked hard and he could respect her for that. That being said, she had never registered much to Naruto. Naruto had just never paid her the attention he did to Sakura. Though, Naruto admitted, it was probably because Hinata had been in one of the other classes until recently. There had been a number of 'weed outs' recently and the Academy had consolidated the three classes into one final class.

"What's going on?" Naruto whispered to Tobio.

"Sasuke just got rejected. I never thought I'd see the day," Naruto's classmate said quietly. Naruto snickered. This was going to get good.

"I don't understand. I asked _you_ on a _date_," Sasuke said in a flat, disbelieving tone. "The other girls would be thrilled for the opportunity."

"Unlike the others, I refuse to be a prize. I am not content to be _decoration_," Hinata spoke resolutely. Naruto was rolling with laughter. He wasn't going to regret coming to class today. Mizuki could talk about why egg prices in Suna matter to Konoha and Naruto wouldn't complain too loudly. The look on Sasuke's face was making it all worth it.

Naruto wiped a tear from his eye. "Sasuke…got burned by a girl. Oh man, this is great!" Naruto cackled and bathed in the looks of annoyance and ire he was getting. _He_ was the center of attention now. _His_ existence was the one being confirmed. Sasuke and his fangirls shot Naruto a glare that could have caused a bijū to quail, which caused Naruto to just erupt into a new batch of laughter. Naruto just cheekily bowed to the group before jumping off the desk.

'_Oh man, that really made my day…made up for getting shafted by Hong _again_, even,'_ Naruto thought contentedly. _'I'm _so _glad I decided to come in today.'_

Naruto looked to the back corner of the room and watched as Hinata sat down. The way she carried herself seemed odd to Naruto. Hinata had sounded really confident when she shot down Sasuke. However, as she sat down, Naruto noticed that she was clearly trying to calm down. _'Weird, it's almost like she _didn't _want to be the center of attention,'_ Naruto thought. He was about to head over and find out more details on Hinata's humiliation of Sasuke. Instead, Iruka and Mizuki reentered the classroom.

"Everyone to your seats!" Mizuki barked. Most of the class scurried to their seats. Sasuke, however, threw one last glare at Naruto before taking a seat.

"And thank you, Naruto, for finally deciding to join us," Iruka said in concerned exasperation.

"A man's got to pay his bills," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Regardless, I hope you arrive on time from now on. Naruto, you cannot be tardy on the _first _day, it sets a bad tone for the rest of the term!" Iruka admonished.

Naruto shrugged again and took a seat in the middle of the classroom. He just hoped things stayed interesting. _'Oh well, if things get boring I can always work on some seals,'_ Naruto thought as Iruka launched into a congratulatory speech commending the class for surviving the latest round of cuts. _'Yeah, I'm going to be practicing seals, I just know it.'_

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><p>Hinata had finally calmed down after the incident with the class. The attention of her peers was fully on Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. She was confident in her abilities, but was still uncomfortable in large groups. Hinata was an introvert and had accepted that fact years ago. She was proud of the strides she had made since that fateful day when she was six.<p>

'_But was that really him?'_ Hinata asked herself. _'It had to have been, Iruka-sensei called him Naruto.'_

Hinata still remembered that day like it was yesterday. She had been defeated by Hanabi in a spar. The defeat at the hands of her sister was not what crushed her, however. It was the look of utter disapproval from her father that caused Hinata to burst into tears. Hinata's shame and disappointment had driven her from the Hyūga Compound. She ran for what seemed like hours before running into a group of older Academy students. Hinata's carelessness had offended them greatly and they dragged her into the woods. She had been humiliated and forced to grovel.

Then Naruto had arrived.

He was everything Hinata wasn't at that time. Naruto had spoken with conviction. Hinata could barely whisper to her own father. Naruto had stood up straight. Hinata shrank into herself. Naruto had _dared_ the bullies to look him in the eyes. Hinata wished to simply disappear. The other boys had mentioned that the adults disapproved of Naruto. Instead of looking down, Naruto had smirked and restated his desire to be Hokage. Hinata was in awe of the fact that Naruto was supremely confident. He had started the fight and drawn first blood. Even when all three bullies had attacked him at once, Naruto hadn't given up. He had kicked and wrestled even as they held him down.

Hinata had also made her decision. She had resolved to help Naruto. Hinata leapt to her feet, but before she could step in, Kō arrived and the bullies fled from Hinata's Chūnin guardian. Naruto had taken one last blow to the head before the bullies had fled and was unconscious as Kō dragged Hinata away.

"Stop," Hinata whispered. She had blushed when she realized she had spoken out loud. That had been her first command. Sadly, by the time Hinata had convinced Kō to go back and help Naruto, the boy had been found by someone. Hinata did not have a chance to thank him, but was grateful he had been watched after.

That day had changed Hinata. She had decided to find a shred of Naruto's determination within herself. It had been difficult at first, especially after the influx of refugees from Kirigakure and the Land of Water. Many of the children had entered the Academy and Hinata's year had been split into three classes. Hinata and Naruto had been placed in different classes. After a few days, Hinata had begun to falter. She was slipping back into depression. One day, Hinata changed. It was a sudden and unexpected thing. She had been in a conversation with two branch members about the meal for a ceremony. Hinata had researched the guests and realized they had certain tastes and that the suggestions the servers were making would likely offend the visiting dignitaries. Normally, Hinata would have never spoken up. That day she had been moved to protect the Clan even if it was from a wealthy merchant's peculiar pallet.

She still remembered the looks of shocked approval from the older women. Looking back, Hinata could not believe _that_ had been the moment she had begun to assert herself. Her actions had even won the first sliver of approval from her demanding father.

Hinata had started taken small steps forward, and before long had realized she had made true progress. Most importantly, the growth had been driven by Hinata's desire for change. She may have had Naruto's example, but she alone had accomplished so much.

'_I wonder if I'll get a chance to thank Naruto for being such an inspiration?' _Hinata thought to herself.

* * *

><p>"I hope you enjoy your lunch! We need you <em>all<em> back at the bell, because there will be a group assignment," Iruka announced. The class mostly acknowledged Iruka and began to file out of the classroom. The teacher shook his head and walked up one of the aisles. He watched as Shikamaru woke up after being prodded by Chouji.

As he reached the top of stairs, the teacher took a seat. "I'm glad to see your progress, Naruto."

"Thanks Iruka-sensei," Naruto responded as he looked up from his seals. "I was really planning on being here on time…Hong, well; Hong is really trying to screw me over."

"Hokage-sama and I are aware. If it makes you feel any better, Hong is notoriously dishonest. Haruno Mebuki of the Refugee Commission is leading the charge to put him in his place."

"Heh, hearing that he's screwing _everyone_ over and not just me does make me feel better," Naruto confessed.

Iruka laughed. "Let me guess, Hong didn't leave you enough time to get lunch?"

"N-No," Naruto admitted. Iruka frowned at Naruto's hesitant tone. Naruto valued his independence and was a very proud young man.

"Don't worry. I have a bit extra today. Come on, I'll share." Iruka stood up and motioned to the door.

Naruto returned Iruka's smile as he packed up his fuinjutsu supplies. "Thank, Iruka-sensei. So, is this group assignment going to be really boring? I mean, I'd rather work on my fuinjutsu! Did you know I'm almost got a B-rank down!"

"That's great Naruto! Which B-rank?"

Naruto started bouncing on his feet as he explained the basics of the Fūka Hōin to his favorite teacher. The arrived in the teacher's lounge quickly and Naruto chowed down. Iruka laughed at the boy's enthusiasm even as he chided Naruto's lack of table manners.

"You haven't answered my question, though. What's this group assignment?" Naruto asked as he leaned back in the chair.

Iruka smiled. "Jutsu practice. Everyone will be partnered up to judge weaknesses and to help with the Substitution."

"Ha! That's awesome. We get to throw things at each other!" Naruto exclaimed.

"There's a bonus for you," Iruka said with a smile. "You are partnering with Hinata."

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Really?" Iruka nodded. "That's going to be fun. I wonder…"

"Naruto, you haven't been in her class since you were seven. Unless you've been running into her when I'm not around…she might shoot you down like she did Sasuke."

"Oh ye of little faith! I'm the _next Hokage_. Iruka-sensei, I have a plan."

"Should we start panicking yet?" Mizuki asked from the doorway. He smirked at his friend and the boy.

"Actually…not yet, Mizuki-sensei!" Naruto assured the other teacher. "This has _almost_ nothing to do with a prank."

Mizuki snorted. "Almost nothing is a step up. I guess I shouldn't get too hopeful for 'absolutely nothing', then?"

"Nah, this is more of a passive prank. No seals, no water balloons. Heck, I'll be _behaving_ as part of it."

"You're not helping me avoid panicking, Naruto," Mizuki grumbled. The blond-headed boy simply smiled as Iruka started to guide him back to the classroom.

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><p>Uchiha Sasuke had already finished eating and was attempting to use his time productively. He had spent part of the previous night searching his Clan histories for useful jutsu or information on activating the Sharingan. Sasuke had not uncovered any additional insight into the Sharingan, but found a scroll hidden in the tiles of his cousin Renji's bedroom. The scroll was details on the Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu. It was a great boon for the young Uchiha. The technique was a simple C-rank, but was very versatile. Sasuke could certainly see the potential in it. More importantly, it was a sign of progress in his pursuit of Itachi.<p>

The practice also helped him focus on a positive instead of his embarrassment earlier in the day.

Sasuke really had no interest in Hyūga Hinata. Truthfully, Sasuke believed pursuing a relationship while Itachi was alive to be a cruel risk to both himself and whoever Sasuke became involved with. It was just Hinata was the most palatable of the girls in the Academy. She was driven and successful. Then there was the advantage that Sasuke could eventually call it off due to 'biology'.

Hinata simply couldn't bear _proper_ Uchiha children. There had been a few Uchiha-Hyūga unions in the past. Most had simply borne 'normal' children that completely lacked the Dōjutsu of their parents. There was a single case of a child bearing both the Byakugan and the Sharingan, but she had been killed on her very first C-rank mission. There were many theories about the circumstances. The most common theory was that the Hyūga Elders and Uchiha Madara had both decreed that the child's existence was a black mark on both Clans. Purity had to be maintained and so, the young woman had met a tragic fate. Worse, at least in Sauke's mind, were the unfortunate children who had tragically been born blind and…challenged due to the complications of the genetics behind both Dōjutsu activating in a single person. The myriad of risks of an Uchiha-Hyūga union were just too much to build a new Uchiha Clan upon.

Despite Sasuke's beliefs that Hinata would have simply been an amusing fling and a buffer against the annoying fangirls, her adamant and swift rejection stung his pride.

'_Still, she's one of the few students at the Academy who aren't doomed to failure. I can count on one hand the students who _won't _be an embarrassment,'_ Sasuke thought. Once again, his pride was stung that one of those who _wasn't_ clueless to the realities of the Shinobi World was Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto's antics earlier had amplified Sasuke's embarrassment. It galled Sasuke that Naruto, an insufferable loudmouth, prankster, and punk who held no regard for his academic standing was one of the most prepared Academy students for the real world. The Uzumaki trained as hard as anyone in the Academy in taijutsu and was mastering a rare and valuable Shinobi Art.

'_Fuinjutsu…that should be way too advanced for someone who can't even bother to write his name on his homework half the time,'_ Sasuke thought to himself.

The bell rang and Sasuke reestablished his perfect emotional control. Hopefully, the day would conclude without any other embarrassments.

* * *

><p>Hyūga Hinata quietly sat down in her usual position at the back of the room. The other students were slowly making their way into the room. She went through the motions of unpacking her school supplies as a cover to allow her bangs to hide her eyes. <em>'Byakugan.'<em> Hinata's awareness expanded to encompass the entire classroom, the Academy, and most of the Village. She quickly focused her attention on her immediate surroundings. Ino and Sakura were waffling in their internal debates about approaching Sasuke. The Uchiha was fuming about the earlier rejection. Hinata had no regrets about shooting Sasuke down, but her heart raced with nervous energy. The other girls had looked absolutely furious when Sasuke asked Hinata out. Their rage had quadrupled after Hinata had the 'audacity' to reject Uchiha Sasuke.

Hinata was still galled by his presumptions. She was not an object to be paraded about to act as a buffer between Sasuke and the shallow girls of the Academy.

She was currently looking for Uzumaki Naruto. He had stood up for her when she was young and his unflappable nature had been the catalyst for Hinata's personal growth. Today, despite it being a self-centered act honestly, Naruto had helped Hinata yet again. Hinata may have discovered self-confidence and become comfortable with herself, but she still was a naturally introverted person. She was not a fan of crowds. The accusatory glares cast at her back were also an uncomfortable reminder of her early childhood and the painful days of her father and clan's extreme disapproval. Naruto's outburst had given Hinata a welcome reprieve.

Naruto arrived as Hinata imagined he would: full of pride and without a single worry about how others would judge him. She truly admired his unshakable sense of confidence. Hinata's own confidence had solidified and grown over the years, but she knew it was nowhere near as concrete as Naruto's confidence.

Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei entered the room and Hinata focused on Naruto for a fraction of a second before turning her attention to the teachers. Naruto's action brought a blush to her cheeks. _'Did he wink? He has to have impressive attention to detail to be an adept with seals. M-Maybe he noticed me?'_

That potential line of thought faded away when Hinata looked up and noticed Iruka-sensei shook his head mirthfully and Mizuki-sensei rolled his eyes. The wink wasn't likely aimed at Hinata. It caused her to relax for a moment.

"I hope everyone enjoyed their lunch," Iruka announced. "Now, we're going to have a partner exercise."

Almost everyone in the room perked up at the news. Almost all of the girls were whispering excitedly at the prospect of being Sasuke's partner. There were very few people who weren't wondering about their partners. Nara Shikamaru knew that at the end of the day, the current partner wouldn't matter. Aburame Shino was professional enough to adapt to any situation. Hinata was also a consummate professional, but would not deny she had preferences for her partner.

Of course, Uzumaki Naruto knew _exactly_ who his partner would be and was trying not to gloat.

"I will begin by announcing the partners for the exercise. First, Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka began. A sudden tension formed in the air. Naruto watched as many of the girls and a few guys leaned forward in anticipation. The budding seal master took a quick glance to a few of his friends. Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji all had a look of complete indifference. Kiba, in fact, was focused more on Akamaru than anything else.

_'No surprise there,' _Naruto thought. His next 'target' was Hinata. He was strangely pleased and relieved that she was sitting quietly with her hands folded in front of her. She was completely different than every other girl in the class. Granted, Naruto's main exposure to the fairer sex over the past few years had been Sasuke's 'fanclub'. Now that Naruto thought about it, they weren't exactly the best examples. Sure, some of them had been really pretty: Sakura and Ino came to mind.

"…and Higarashi Tobio." Iruka finished. A great wail rolled from almost all of the females in the classroom. Once again, Naruto was extremely pleased by Hinata's reaction. Instead of disappointment, relief colored her stance.

"The next pair is Hyūga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka announced. There wasn't much of a reaction, though Naruto thought he heard one or two guys from the other class complain. The most telling reaction was Hinata's. Naruto had been 'observing' her since lunch ended. She had been professional when the situation demanded it. She had been _relieved_ when she had been spared the awkwardness of being paired with Sasuke after she had rejected him hard core. _'Which is _still _funny,'_ Naruto mentally added. Now, there was a bit of tension in her shoulders.

Naruto couldn't help but smile, not his exaggerated 'look at me' smile, but an easy natural smile. His studies in fuinjutsu and pranking had given Naruto an eye for detail.

And he definitely liked the details he was seeing in Hinata.

Hinata had never deactivated her Byakugan. She had refocused on Iruka-sensei as he called out Sasuke's partner. It was hard to describe her relief at avoiding being trapped with Sasuke. Her expanded awareness had alerted Hinata to where Naruto's focus was glued.

It wasn't Iruka. Naruto's attention had never wavered in its focus.

On her.

There was a quiet intensity in his focus that birthed a powerful heat in Hinata's cheeks. Naruto wasn't the first boy to show interest in her. It was just _none_ of the other boys had looked at her with anywhere near the same intensity.

Hinata vaguely registered the other partners being announced. The order and reactions were fleetingly recorded in her memory. They were quickly pushed away as the classroom stirred to life. Hinata quickly deactivated her bloodline inheritance and began to head to Naruto's seat.

"I guess we're working together, Hinata," Naruto's voice interrupted Hinata's thought and brought her world screeching to a halt. She paused in the aisle and was shocked at how _close_ she was to Naruto.

This was the first time Hinata had gotten a good look at Naruto since their 'reunion'. His blond hair was the first detail Hinata noticed. It was a brighter and more vibrant shade than the Yamanaka Clan's hair. Naruto's hair was also as unruly and untamed as his personality. The boy was wearing an orange and blue jumpsuit. Hinata quickly flicked her eyes up and down Naruto's body. He was wearing standard shinobi boots with steel toes. His jacket was unzipped and she could see the blue and white t-shirt worn underneath. The t-shirt was emblazoned with the swirl-pattern found on the backs of Konoha's flak jackets.

All those details could not possibly hold Hinata's attention when compared with Naruto's eyes.

They were an electric blue. Electric was the only adjective Hinata could think of to describe Naruto's eyes. No word fully captured the energy in Naruto's vibrant eyes.

"I-I suppose we are," Hinata managed to force out.

Naruto grinned and took his first real look at Hinata. It wasn't her appearance that drew him in first. It was her, for a lack of a better term, aura that caught his attention. She radiated determination. Hinata clearly refused to break. Naruto could tell that she had struggled and fought for everything in her life. It was just something he could tell from a glance. Hinata was earning a deeper respect from Naruto already. Now, the young seal-prodigy took in Hinata's appearance. She was obviously modest as her clothing was baggy and nondescript. Naruto thought that she wore the clothes well, however. The cream-colored jacket Hinata wore had a fur lining at the waist that looked very similar to the lining of Naruto's jacket's collar.

'_Heh, maybe we shop at the same stores,'_ Naruto joked to himself. Once again, his eye for detail revealed a few facts that would be hidden from most observations. Hinata clearly was very fit. Naruto noticed the way that the jacket had moved with Hinata as she had turned around. The blond managed to hide his amusement as he silently compared Hinata to a complex fuinjutsu formula.

"Now that everyone has moved to their partners, I will explain the exercises," Mizuki announced. The class fell silent. Many students wanted to discover the lesson so that they could improve. There were others who wanted to get this torture over with so that they could escape their partners. Naruto and Hinata fell into a final group who were curious about the length of time they would be working together.

"We will begin by heading outside so that you all may practice your Kawarimi no Jutsu, or as it is called by civilians the 'Substitution jutsu'. In this exercise, Iruka and I want you to critique your partners. Do not hesitate out of fear of 'hurting' your partner's feelings. _Push_ each other to be the best you can be. When you are in the field, the enemies of Konoha will try to break your will. As shinobi, you must be strong."

After Mizuki's speech, the class headed out. There were stations with several wooden practice shuriken and a number of simple crates. Naruto and Hinata decided to take the one furthest away from the fangirl-throng surrounding Sasuke and Tobio.

Naruto only partially listened to Mizuki drone on about what the instructions were. "Begin," was all Naruto really registered.

He turned to Hinata and grinned. "Do you want to start throwing or should I?"

"I'll start," Hinata answered. She chose a shuriken and looked up at Naruto with a demure smile. "I am glad we are working together."

Naruto couldn't respond as Hinata had thrown one of the shuriken. It was a minor miracle that Naruto managed to substitute with one of the crates. "Thanks," Naruto finally responded. "It's nice to be with a girl who wants to be an actual ninja and not some damsel in distress Sasuke can rescue."

"The Hyūga have higher standards," Hinata responded playfully. Naruto grinned. Hinata was going to be more fun than he thought.

"Good to hear," Naruto said while throwing a shuriken at Hinata's stomach. He waited a moment until she walked back into view after her substitution. "So, any stories from your class before the last weedouts?"

Hinata smiled. "I'm afraid my class was very professional and did not have the drama of your class."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not surprised. Your class had most of the refugees from the Land of Water. They are trying to prove their worth to Konoha by showing out."

"The refugees are very dedicated. Konoha and the Land of Fire saved them from the practical collapse of Kirigakure and the Land of Water." Hinata looked down and noticed that there were only four practice shuriken left. She exchanged a quick look with Naruto. The boy smiled back in agreement with Hinata's unspoken idea. They quickly grabbed two shuriken each and Hinata threw the first.

"The Bloodline Purges had already started a brutal civil war. The Kaguya Clan killing the Water Daimyo and her family really sent things into the shitter," Naruto agreed as he completed his Kawarimi and threw one of his shuriken at Hinata. The second she emerged, he finished his statement. "I'm not surprised a huge chunk of refugees hit our beaches hard."

The shuriken dance quickly continued. "You are well-informed, Naruto-kun."

Naruto barely got his substitution off in time due to his shock at a _girl_ attaching the 'kun' honorific to his name. "Well, people tend to ignore me when I'm not making them money or seals. They talk about a ton of stuff like I'm not even there."

The Hyūga heiress easily substituted clear of the last shuriken. "Fuinjutsu is a rare and valuable skill. I am amazed that you are so good at it."

"Really?" Naruto asked and Hinata giggled a bit at the dopey smile adorning Naruto's face. "Thanks, Hinata! I'm probably the closest thing to a Fuinjutsu Master in Konoha right now!"

"What about Jiraiya-sama of the Sannin?" Hinata asked with a playful tone. She felt a small surge of pride at how Naruto was reacting to her small flash of girlishness. The demands of Hyūga protocol and her own lack of interest in many of the boys in the Academy prevented her from acting her age.

"He's probably the best, but he's not in the village right now, is he?" Naruto responded cheekily.

Hinata giggled at Naruto practically declaring himself "The Greatest by Default". The verbal spar was abruptly interrupted by Mizuki clearing his throat.

"While your display was…impressive…I believe you should focus on the assignment. It would be…unfortunate if any unfounded rumors would reach your esteemed father."

Naruto had always kinda liked Mizuki-sensei. Maybe not as much as Iruka-sensei, but Mizuki-sensei wasn't as bad as some of the other jerks in the village. His comments directed at Hinata had set off alarm bells. They were as well aimed as a kunai throw. Mizuki was trying to do something. Naruto quickly cast Hinata a glance and saw the tension in her stance.

Naruto didn't like it.

"We were trying to distract each other," Naruto said hotly in defense of Hinata. "Very few enemies are going to give us warning about their attacks."

"I'm surprised by your reasoning. It was well thought out," Mizuki responded and hid his annoyance at Naruto's counter carefully. "Now, you need you to practice the Henge no Jutsu."

"Of course, Mizuki-sensei," Hinata acknowledged gracefully as if Mizuki hadn't made his cheap shot. "Are there any required subjects?"

"No," Mizuki answered. "The main goal of this exercise is to critique each other. Don't hold back, because growth only comes from adversity."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders while Hinata merely nodded politely. Hinata agreed to let Naruto begin. He transformed into a near-perfect version of Iruka-sensei. "So, Hinata…" Naruto-as-Iruka began. He finished with, "What do you do outside of the Academy?"

"You mean, when I'm not learning my Clan's jutsu and traditions?" Hinata asked and received a nod of confirmation from Naruto as he ended his transformation. She did not answer before turning into a young girl with the Byakugan, long brown hair, and an air of innocence. "I enjoy flower pressing and making my own medicinal salves."

"That's awesome! I might bring a few flowers that I've grown for you one day," Naruto said without really thinking. Hinata blushed at the earnestness of the gesture. "Who'd you transform into? Is that a cousin or sister?"

"My younger sister, Hanabi." Hinata revealed. "I am closer to her than anyone else in my family."

"Must be nice," Naruto mumbled. Hinata felt a wave of sadness wash over her. "Heh, since we're turning into 'sisters', I'll show you mine!"

Naruto transformed into a young woman wearing a cook's outfit. _She_ turned around to show off the transformation. Hinata activated her Byakugan and was impressed by the amount of chakra Naruto had put into the technique.

"Who is that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked warmly.

The girl Naruto had transformed into grinned. "I'm Ayame from Ichiraku!"

Naruto dispelled his transformation and beamed. "Please tell me you like ramen!"

"I enjoy it, but I don't eat if very often," Hinata confessed. She flashed through the hand seals and transformed into Mizuki-sensei. Naruto flashed Hinata a thumbs up.

"Hey! Iruka-sensei! Can we start on that stupid Bunshin now?" Naruto shouted, much to the annoyance of several other students.

"Have you practiced the other two required jutsu?" Iruka asked.

"We have, Iruka-sensei," Hinata confirmed. Iruka gave a warm nod of affirmation before turning to one of the partnerships to offer tips on the transformation.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto spoke up. "I'm sure you've got the Bunshin down. I…well; I can't seem to get it down."

"That's fine, Naruto-kun. You can go first," Hinata said with a gentle smile.

"Thanks! Hey, the Byakugan can see chakra, right? Could you use your bloodline to see what I'm doing wrong?" Naruto asked.

"I would be happy to help you," Hinata answered and Naruto was struck by how polite the girl was. _No one_ other than Iruka-sensei and the Hokage had ever been this polite to Naruto! He had to admit, it was a very nice feeling. "Byakugan!"

"Alright! Here I go! Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto cried out…only for nothing to happen.

Hinata had watched the interplay of Naruto's jutsu and Naruto's chakra with her Byakugan. She couldn't believe the sheer amount of chakra Naruto possessed. The closest analogy she could think of was trying to fill a saucer with one of the Nidaime Hokage's Water Release Jutsu. The Bunshin was a jutsu that, like a saucer, was very delicate and had almost no 'volume'. Naruto's chakra and complete lack of control was raw and destructive in its force. Hinata was not sure how to broach the subject with Naruto. He would likely be incredibly successful with combat ninjutsu, but subtle jutsu like the Bunshin and genjutsu would forever be out of his reach.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata began. "I…I have good news and bad news."

'_Oh, that can't be good.'_ Naruto tried not to frown. _'At least Hinata is being nice about this…'_

"Hit me with the bad news," Naruto braced himself.

"Well…" Hinata thought carefully and decided to just go with her analogy. She thought it would help Naruto accept her words easier. "You are having trouble controlling all your charka. It's like trying to fill a tea saucer with one of the Nidaime Hokage's Suiton jutsus. The Bunshin is like the saucer. It's fragile and if you hit it with such raw and powerful chakra…the jutsu will just shatter."

In Naruto's opinion, that was the single greatest explanation for his Bunshin issue _ever._ Naruto's chakra had been compared, indirectly, to Senju Tobirama. Senju Tobirama was one of the greatest shinobi in history and a former Hokage. It was hard to believe how awesome Hinata was turning out to be.

"Any suggestions?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Maybe…maybe you could try making multiple Bunshin?" Hinata advanced an idea.

"I've never thought of that! I thought you were really smart when you shot down Sasuke! I had no idea you're a genius like Namikaze Minato!" Naruto shouted. The Yondaime was Naruto's hero and comparing _anyone_ or _anything_ to the Yellow Flash was the highest praise Naruto could offer.

Hinata blushed. She doubted she was on _that _level, but the sheer enthusiasm and genuine belief in Naruto's tone made the compliment very endearing. Naruto quickly attempted to create as many Bunshins as he could muster.

He created eighteen. They all were boneless heaps that lasted less than a second. Hinata frowned and was preparing to apologize for a useless suggestion. However, Naruto's face had a look of sheer triumph made the apology die on her lips. In its place, there was a smile. She was helping Naruto. It was a great feeling.

"I actually _made_ a few! Holy crap!" Naruto jumped in the air. "You've done more to help me in _three minutes_ than the Academy has done in _three years!"_

Hinata blinked owlishly. "I-I didn't do anything special."

'_Why the hell was I stuck with Sasuke for all those years? I would have sworn off pranking and eating ramen _every _day if I could have been in Hinata's class!'_ Naruto thought excitedly.

"Can we try again! Let me know what I did wrong!" Naruto begged his partner.

"Of course!" Hinata agreed. Naruto tried again. Hinata was struck by the sheer power of Naruto's chakra. He was trying his best to mold his chakra, but there was simply too much for Naruto to handle. There was slight improvement, but none of the thirteen clones lasted longer than two seconds. Hinata gave every pointer she could think of, but after six more attempts little progress had been made.

Naruto latched on and appreciated every ounce of help Hinata offered. Iruka came over and thanked Hinata for her help, but reminded her that she needed to practice as well. The Hyūga heiress quickly created three perfect Bunshin.

"Um, Hinata…I have a question," Naruto chewed over his words. He knew that Hinata was practically royalty in her Clan. "Would you like to train with me sometime? I'd even be willing to teach you some fuinjutsu in exchange for your help with that stupid Bunshin no Jutsu."

"My father is out of the village on a B-rank diplomatic mission," Hinata said with pride. "I will be able to train with you later today."

"You're the best, Hinata!" Naruto praised the girl. He almost missed Hinata blush and look away. "Is there a place you want to meet up for to train?"

"Training Ground Thirty-one is near the Hyūga grounds and is rarely used," Hinata suggested.

Naruto nodded. "I've laid low there a few times after pranks. The training ground is mostly grass used to simulate battles near farms and such. It is boring for actual training, but we don't need terrain."

"What time do you want to meet?" Hinata asked.

"I'm good for whatever's the best time for you," Naruto answered.

"Five-thirty would be the best," Hinata answered. On one level, she really couldn't believe she agreed to meet with Naruto. The Hyūga Elders would likely be opposed to such a meeting. Hopefully, Naruto's training in fuinjutsu would allay most of their concerns. It wasn't a _date_ after all. There was a slight pang of disappointment in that admission as she enjoyed Naruto's enthusiastic praise and the intensity in his gaze.

"Sounds great! I'll see you then." Naruto waved as Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei separated the class into the assigned seats for the rest of the term. They had clearly become sick of the daily squabble over which fangirl would receive the 'honor' of sitting next to Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto spent the rest of the day alternating between working on mastering the Fūka Hōin and trying to see how Hinata was handling sitting next to Chouji. He didn't have anything against Chouji, but Naruto was trying to figure out if there was a way he could convince Chouji and Iruka-sensei to swap the seats.

'_Maybe Hinata can help me finally get the Bunshin down!'_ Naruto thought excitedly as he finished up another storage scroll. He was going to need it to transport the table for later. The day ended much faster than Naruto had expected. He quickly used the Kawirimi to switch places with the trashcan by the door to intercept Hinata.

"Thanks for all your help, Hinata," Naruto said with a smile and a salute.

Hinata shook her head in amusement. "I am glad I could help you, Naruto-kun. I will see you tonight."

Naruto watched her leave before spinning on his heels and basking in the murderous and/or stunned looks of most of the class. He threw his hands up in a 'horned' pattern and backed out of the door with a taunting smile on his face. Naruto made it six steps out of the Academy Classroom before he backed into someone. He slowly turned around so that he could plan his escape.

"Uzumaki Naruto…just the person I was looking for…" a fair-skinned woman with light brown hair and green eyes said smoothly. She wore a serious expression that was at odds with her somewhat delicate looking qipao dress.

"Do I, uh, know you?" Naruto asked and noticed three possible escape routes and only one that would force him to waste a sealed scroll.

"Not personally. My name is Haruno Mebuki and we need to talk about your…side profession," Mebuki said sternly.

'_Oh crap, someone triggered _that!' Naruto panicked. "The safe-word is banana! But you have to have someone _outside_ the fuinjutsu trap to say it at the same time for it to work."

"I'm sorry, but _what?"_ Mebuki was clearly scandalized that Naruto was up to something that required a safe-word.

Naruto blinked. "By your reaction, I guess you're not here about the fuinjutsu security system I created for old man Genji's shop?"

"No…this is about your arrangement with Hong. The Hokage and I wish to discuss his unscrupulous practices. We feel you would provide…insight…into his dealings," Mebuki explained.

"Oh, so you just want me to talk about how he's screwing everyone over," Naruto realized after a moment.

"It is a bit more _official_ than that," the Haruno woman groused. "Your statement is accurate, however."

"Lead on then! If it helps screw over Hong for screwing us over, I'm _all _for it!" Naruto declared enthusiastically. _'Yup, I'd have to say that today has been a good one!'_

* * *

><p>Sarutobi Hiruzen took a long drag on his pipe as he waited for Haruno Mebuki to retrieve Uzumaki Naruto. The Sandaime Hokage took a moment to contemplate the life of the young jinchūriki. Naruto had benefited as much as anyone in Konoha from the influx of refugees from the Land of Water and Kirigakure. Konoha shinobi and civilians were as distractable as any other human being. Originally, the citizens of Konoha had been almost completely united in their desire to ostracize and ignore Uzumaki Naruto. The villagers never dared to defy any of Hiruzen's protective decrees, but they were determined to take some measure of petty revenge against the Kyūbi no Kitsune.<p>

Hiruzen was deeply ashamed of the shortsightedness of his charges. In the manner of a disappointed parent, he attempted to educate his wayward subordinates. The lessons took hold…slightly.

Naruto was becoming a very lonely young boy. He desperately sought to fill the empty void in his heart and soul acknowledgment in many ways. The most common method was pranks and petty graffiti. One day, the few remaining Konoha Military Police patrols had brought Naruto in for another graffiti incident. Hiruzen had been struck by an idea and attempted to direct Naruto's energies in a productive direction. Everyone had heard of Naruto's boasts of becoming a future Hokage. Hiruzen had simply told Naruto of the ninja art known as fuinjutsu. The Hokage had let Naruto know that fuinjutsu was rare and only the greatest shinobi in history had ever truly mastered it. To this day, Hiruzen was grateful that he fought the Daimyo to keep the Military Police active for a few more months following the Uchiha Massacre.

"_It will be a valuable skill for a Hokage to have…"_ Hiruzen had told Naruto. Naruto had taken to the art reluctantly at first. However, the first hundred ryō the boy earned had changed his tune. The purchase may have been a whim made without thinking for the Chūnin, but it was so much more for Naruto. That one hundred ryō represented acknowledgment, value, and independence for Naruto. The purchase validated Naruto's existence. That purchase showed Naruto that not only did his skill have value, but that _he had value._ Naruto also realized that he could supplement his 'orphan stipend', which in reality was Jiraiya funneling as much money as he could without tipping off his or Naruto's parents' enemies to the boy, with a 'ramen and ninja stuff' fund.

Naruto's fuinjutsu had won him some small measure of acceptance from the shinobi. The Kaguya Clan and the madness of the Land of Water had saved Naruto from the civilians. The Kaguya had always been a violent clan pursuing an ancient and somewhat nihilistic philosophy. Their entry into the multifaceted civil war in the Land of Water had escalated the conflict in ways none of the Kage could have predicted. The Kaguya managed to assassinate the Water Daimyo. The horror of 'Bloodline freaks' killing the ultimate civilian authority had restarted the Bloodline Purges. Thousands of shinobi and civilians had fled the Land of Water for the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning.

The influx of refugees had provided a new target for Konoha's gossip, suspicion, and focus. Konoha hadn't forgotten their ire at Naruto's mere existence, but they were easily distracted. Naruto quickly discovered a niche. He went from a ticking time bomb to a notorious 'punk'. The distinction was lost on many people, but Hiruzen was grateful. It had stabilized Naruto's psyche.

"Hokage-sama," a Chūnin serving as the Hokage's assistant called from the door.

"Yes, Takeo-kun?" the Hokage responded.

"My Lord, Haruno Mebuki and Uzumaki Naruto are here," Takeo reported.

Hiruzen smiled. "Please, send them in." Mebuki entered and bowed politely and with the proper respect. Uzumaki Naruto, however, strolled into the Hokage's office as if he owned the place.

In the young man's defense, Naruto believed that he _did_ own the place. His belief in his future was so unshakable that he'd spit in the face of Uchiha Madara, the Sandaime Raikage, and Hanzō the Salamander if they disputed his declaration.

"Hokage-sama," Mebuki said reverently. Sarutobi responded with a friendly nod.

"Oi! Old Man Hokage, it's good to see you!" Naruto shouted excitedly. "The other villages sent their surrender letters yet?"

"Hello, Naruto-kun," the Hokage laughed. "I'm afraid that the Kazekage's groveling surrender was lost in a sandstorm and the Raikage's letter was frozen somewhere in the Land of Frost."

The back-and-forth was a bit of a traditional greeting between the God of Shinobi and the Jinchūriki. The Hokage motioned to the seats in front of his desks. Mebuki took her seat graciously. Naruto was equally as thankful, but nowhere near as graceful. He flopped into the chair and reclined almost lazily. Naruto's posture _had_ improved over the years. _'At least he's no longer throwing his legs over the armrests,'_ the venerable Hokage thought.

"Naruto-kun, do you know why we asked you here today?" Sarutobi asked.

Naruto beamed in anticipation. "Oh yeah, someone's finally going to put Hong in his place!"

"He has been taking advantage of the mistrust that lingers against the refugee population. His prices, especially on certain imports of religious and cultural significance, are clearly gouging."

"There are other concerns, but you need not be aware of them, Naruto-kun. All we require is a statement on the supply costs of your seals, the amount Hong purchases them for, and the price Hong sells the sealing scrolls for."

"Do you want me to write it out myself? Or should I have one of you write it?" Naruto asked.

"The laws of Konoha require all sworn statements to be written by the individual giving the account so long as they are physically capable of writing," the Hokage explained.

"I can handle that," Naruto readily agreed. Mebuki and the Hokage watched as Naruto filled out his report. The Haruno woman had heard from her daughter about the Uzumaki's reputation and nature as a prankster and all-around punk. Her preconceptions never allowed her to consider that his handwriting would border on calligraphy. Yes, she had known of his skills with fuinjutsu and the exacting requirements of the art.

It was just very difficult to overcome preconceptions.

"Here you go, old man," Naruto announced with warmth and respect as he finished his report with an artistic flourish.

The Hokage took a moment to review Naruto's official complaint. He was impressed by the details Naruto included, but there was one piece of information that was conspicuously absent.

"Naruto-kun, you are allowed to file a public report. There is no need for anonymity."

Naruto smiled weakly at the Hokage. "You know I'm not popular, Old Man. Hong may be a jerk, but I'm _that_ kid. It's better for everyone this way."

Mebuki was stunned at the depths of her misconceptions. Her family had not fled the chaos of the collapse of the Land of Water to bring discrimination and bigotry to a new land.

'_It seems I will have to have a chat with the community about Uzumaki Naruto,'_ the political campaigner thought.

The two adults talked to Naruto for a few minutes about Hong's business practices before the boy practically begged for permission to leave.

"I am _hurt_, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen said in an exaggerated tone. "I thought you enjoyed spending time with me."

The Hokage and Mebuki both laughed as the usually unflappable Naruto blushed and squirmed a bit. "I do! It's just I kinda promised Hinata that I'd start training her in fuinjutsu if she'd help me with that dumb Bunshin no Jutsu."

"Well, Hokage-sama…I do believe we shouldn't keep the young man too long. It is important for him to learn not to keep a young woman waiting," Haruno Mebuki pointed out slyly.

"Oh yes, it is a very important lesson." The Hokage took the opportunity to tease Naruto a small bit.

"I do need to get those flowers," Naruto idly mentioned. Mebuki giggled like a school girl. "What is it?"

"I am just impressed by your thoughtfulness," Mebuki gently teased the boy. "Thank you for your statement."

"Uh, you're welcome?" Naruto was unsure how to respond to someone being this polite to him. He was still shocked and trying to figure out what to do about Hinata being nice. An adult being nice was practically unheard of outside of Iruka-sensei, Teuchi-ji-san, and Old Man Hokage! Mebuki's sudden politeness and respectful tone was almost too much for the young man to process in one day! The pair of adults teased Naruto about his 'date' for a few more moments before letting him head home.

As Naruto sealed the flowers away, he started looking around his room. "Why do I get the feeling I've just unleashed something I can't control?"

* * *

><p>Hinata smiled and returned the bow of a few of the Cadet Branch members. She was still in a bit of shock about how readily she had agreed to meet with Naruto.<p>

'_Maybe it is because Father is out of the village,'_ Hinata reasoned. _'When he returns home, I will be able to show positive developments. That should address his possible concerns.'_

"Onee-sama!" a young girl cried out in excitement. "You're home!"

"I'm home, Hanabi-imouto," Hinata confirmed. "How was your day?"

"It got boring," Hanabi grumbled. "Can we play?"

"Tonight," Hinata promised. "I am meeting a classmate in a little bit. He asked me to help train him."

"With a boy? Isn't that almost like a date? You won't be teaching him any of our super-secret family jutsu, will you?" Hanabi rattled off several questions in a single breath.

"Y-Yes, with a boy, but it isn't a date. I won't be dating for a while. I even turned down a date from Uchiha Sasuke today," Hinata revealed. "Oh, and I'm only teaching him the Bunshin."

"Good! I don't want to share you yet!" Hanabi declared. Hinata hugged her precious sister. The look on Hanabi's face had been completely adorable.

"Naruto-kun, the boy I'll be helping, is teaching me something, too. The skill is called fuinjutsu. I'll be able to make storage scrolls soon," Hinata told her sister as she let go of the hug and walked with Hanabi towards the residential wing.

"What's that?" Hanabi asked her sister.

The elder Hyūga sister smiled. "It is a ninja tool. You put a bit of chakra into the scroll and it can store a large number of supplies or items. With a storage scroll, you could carry around all of your stuffed animals at once."

Hanabi practically used the Shunshin no Jutsu to appear in front of her sister. **"All of them?"**

"Yes, Hanabi-imouto. All of them," Hinata promised and smiled again at her sister.

The sisters chatted as they walked the halls. _'Did Naruto's example help me earn even this?'_ Hinata thought.

* * *

><p>"Seal!" Naruto cried out. He glared hatefully at the scroll as it absorbed the table. "I can create seals as easily as most of my class can transform. I've damn near invented an original seal and a sealing ninjutsu."<p>

He pocketed the storage scroll, before kicking an empty ramen cup across the room. "Then, how the hell am I being stumped by the _fucking Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

Naruto took a second to calm down. _'No point in being angry when I show up to train with Hinata. I don't want to turn Hinata into a Hong or some other stupid civilian that hates me for no damn reason.'_

The boy didn't get it. He wasn't the best behaved kid in Konoha, but he didn't have a criminal record. Heck, Naruto hadn't pulled a prank in nearly three months.

It wasn't his actions. Naruto knew that much. The attitude of the village was caused by something beyond his control. Naruto knew exactly what happened on his birthday. _'It's kind of hard not to know about the demon rampage that did more damage to the village than the first two Shinobi World Wars combined.'_

"I'm not just their bad memories," Naruto declared. "Fuck'em. I'm going to change their minds and they'll love me when I'm the greatest Hokage in history."

He had a great opportunity to start changing minds and earning allies in his quest for the Hat. Hinata was the next head of the Hyūga Clan. If Naruto could get on Hinata's good side, he could definitely get a head start on his dream.

Then there was the fact that he wasn't sure about his original reason for asking Hinata out. Yeah, he still wanted to upstage Sasuke. It was just that Naruto had really started to respect Hinata. She was the nicest person his age he'd ever met. Hinata was really talented, but wasn't arrogant like some of the top students at the Academy.

Naruto was also struck by how pretty Hinata was.

Hinata was so…Hinata. It made Naruto feel guilty for even thinking about seeing her as simply a way to upstage Sasuke. A realization hit Naruto hard. He had started crushing on Hyūga Hinata. Naruto hadn't had a crush in a long time. His first crush had been on Haruno Sakura right after her family had arrived from the Land of Water. She had a unique look that had caught Naruto's eye and worked really hard. Unfortunately, when he asked her out she rejected his request…hard. Naruto had tried a few more times, but she rejected him at every opportunity. Sakura was also a member of Sasuke's 'Fanclub', and that was a strike against her. Still, Naruto carried a bit of a shine for the Haruno girl. The boy even respected her mother.

Still, that flame was just a few flickering embers. Each time Naruto had thought about her tonight, he had begun comparing Sakura to Hinata.

"Yeah…I'm crushing. Wheeee…" Naruto announced to his empty apartment with a mix of sarcasm and excitement. There was no denying that there were a lot worse people Naruto could have become attracted to.

The student of the sealing arts decided there was no point in moping. He focused on the positives. The biggest was a girl he was starting to like treated him like a person. Naruto collected his scrolls and put them in the holster-belt he purchased after leaving the meeting with Old Man Hokage and Mebuki.

Training Ground Thirty-one was a decent walk from Naruto's apartment, but the evening was pleasant enough. The walk also allowed Naruto to clear his head a bit before reaching the training ground. Naruto checked his watch and noticed that he was a few minutes early.

"Good, this will let me set up everything," Naruto declared to the empty field. He unsealed the table and chairs. Naruto followed that up with the various sealing tools and inks. Hinata arrived at the training ground exactly at 5:30. Naruto blinked at Hinata's outfit. The Hyūga heiress was wearing a long-sleeved light blue blouse with a high collar and simple black capris. Hinata's outfit was still modest, but was nowhere near as frumpy as her cream-colored jacket.

"I hope I'm not late, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a polite bow.

Naruto smiled at her and shook his head. "I showed up early to get everything set up. You're right on time."

"Oh thank goodness, I was worried for a moment. Hanabi-imouto needed help with some of her studies," Hinata explained.

"If I had a kid sister, I'd help her too," Naruto pointed out. He wanted to let Hinata know he wasn't worried. Naruto also struggled to hide his jealously. He wanted a family. He wanted a little brother or sister that would annoy him when he was trying to work on seals. He wanted a parent to tell Naruto to take some time and play with his brother or sister.

Naruto just wanted what every other kid his age took for granted.

Hinata noticed the whirlwind of emotion play across Naruto's face. She instantly knew Naruto was lamenting his lack of family. Hinata's heart genuinely ached for Naruto.

As suddenly as Naruto's down mood was born, it died. He looked up with a broad smile. "Before we get started…I gotta say; this is a good look for you."

Hinata's mind locked up as she watched Naruto give her a completely overt once-over. "T-Thank you."

"You're welcome," Naruto answered with a shrug. "Mind if we start with your fuinjutsu lesson? I need to thank you for your help."

"I thank you for teaching me such a rare art," Hinata answered politely. Naruto had walked by a bistro and saw a guy pull the chair out for a lady. It seemed like a small gesture that the chick had liked. So, Naruto decided to try it. Hinata's small smile and thank you were definite points in Naruto's favor.

The pair spent five minutes on calligraphy, another five on introducing the special inks needed, and a final five minutes on preparing the scrolls. Naruto's excitement grew as Hinata started the first very basic practice exercise. It was not a storage scroll, even though storage scrolls were an exceedingly simple fuinjutsu product. Instead, Naruto had Hinata create a seal that simply changed colors from black to green to purple depending on where chakra was introduced to the array.

"You've got it. This is the easiest way to introduce fuinjutsu," Naruto explained. "The more advanced seals actually require specialized _brushes_ that allow chakra to be sent into the inks while putting down the formulas. We'll work on those as you make more progress."

Hinata nodded in surprise and confusion. She was honestly caught off guard by how skilled Naruto was at _teaching_ seals. The Hyūga had seen Naruto work on seals and create them skillfully. Teaching…was a surprise. The confusion wasn't at the high level chakra control Naruto was talking about with advanced seals. If he could create seals of that nature, how was he being foiled by the _Bunshin no jutsu?_

It was boggling Hinata's mind.

"Shall we begin your Bunshin practice?" Hinata asked.

"Sure! I'm really glad you're helping me," Naruto said truthfully.

"Thank you for teaching me fuinjutsu." Hinata's reply was equally as truthful.

The two Academy students got up and took their positions. Hinata activated her Byakugan. "I don't want you to try the Bunshin no Jutsu yet. Could you mold your chakra?"

"Anywhere?" Naruto asked.

Once again, Hinata was stumped by Naruto's inability to complete the Bunshin no Jutsu. He was aware that he could mold chakra in specific parts of the body. That showed an understanding of chakra control that _should_ allow him to complete the Bunshin no Jutsu with no issues whatsoever.

"Mold your chakra in the gap between your ribs, please." Hinata continued to observe Naruto's efforts. Naruto was demonstrating that he had the chakra control necessary to perform the Bunshin. It wasn't great, but he _should_ be able to do this.

"Naruto-kun, now attempt to make a Bunshin," Hinata said.

"Just one?" Naruto asked and Hinata responded with a smile. He shouted Bunshin no Jutsu and nothing happened at all. "Damn it!"

"I know it's disappointing, Naruto-kun. I saw a great deal with my Byakugan. My earlier observation was correct. You're almost _too powerful_ for this jutsu. The Bunshin is closer to a genjutsu than a ninjutsu. It requires incredibly precise amounts of chakra," Hinata explained.

"Yeah, you mentioned that it's like a saucer and the Nidaime's jutsus…" Naruto complained, but the edge was a bit duller thanks to Hinata's compliment.

"Try creating as many Bunshins as you can," Hinata suggested. "I'm going to see what happens with my Byakugan."

"I'll get it this time!" Naruto declared. "Hey, before I get the jutsu finally, I got a question."

"What is it Naruto-kun?" Hinata tilted her head to the side curiously.

'_That's really cute,'_ Naruto admitted to himself. "The Byakugan can see all around you. What's that like?"

"The best analogy I can think of…is like swimming underwater. You can feel the water all around you. Imagine that feeling, but with your eyes instead of just your skin."

Naruto thought about Hinata's description. It sounded awesome. "That's really cool. Here I go!"

Hinata watched the chakra spread out and split into nearly two dozen little sparks. The sparks started to become Narutos, but they did not become sustainable. The proto-clones flickered and died.

"Crap!" Naruto shouted. "It's almost like a sealing formula that isn't quite right!"

'_Of course! Naruto isn't getting the chakra amount close enough…He needs just a bit more chakra control, but he _can _master this!'_ Hinata realized. "Naruto-kun, you're a genius! I have an idea that could help you, but it will take a lot of work."

Naruto looked up. "What do you have in mind? I'm not afraid of training!"

"It's an advanced chakra control exercise and a useful ninja skill. Water Walking could definitely help you out!" Hinata explained excitedly.

"Awesome!" Naruto shouted and pumped his fists. "You really are the best, Hinata! Iruka-sensei and Old Man Hokage are the only ones who have done this much for me!"

Hinata smiled and Naruto reached the undeniable conclusion that he really, really liked Hinata.

"I need to return home, but we can continue training tomorrow. I think Training Ground Sixteen would be the best place to meet." Hinata pursed her lips in thought.

"That sounds good," Naruto agreed. "Before you go, I have two things for you. First, here are those flowers I mentioned. They would just wilt if they stayed in my room. I hope you enjoy them."

Hinata smiled warmly at the gesture and gladly accepted the flowers. She knew Naruto wasn't aware of Hanakotoba, or the Language of Flowers, but the flowers were significant. _'Does he have an instinctive feel for reaching people?' _Hinata wondered. The flowers Naruto had given Hinata were some Narcissus, Daffodils, and Gardenias. The Narcissus and Daffodils were very similar, but Hinata was familiar with flowers. The message in the flowers was 'respect and self-esteem'. Hinata was inspired to confront Naruto with a truth by the message. The Gardenias brought a bit of color to Hinata's cheeks. Gardenias in Hanakotoba represented 'secret love'. _'Focus on the others! Don't act like Sasuke's fanclub!'_ Hinata ordered herself, but secretly enjoyed the warmth the imagined message brought to her heart.

"I do…" Hinata began to prepare herself for her little speech.

Naruto wasn't aware of Hinata wrestling for self-confidence and happily continued with his gifts. He handed over the practice seal. "Take your practice seal to your sister. I think she'd like the color changing bit."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said happily. She was happy at the kind gesture and her earned confidence. "Thank you for giving me 'respect and self-esteem' for the second time."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion for a second, but it was quickly replaced by a grin that waffled between pleased and curious. Hinata breathed deeply as she fished for the correct words.

"Right as the first wave of refugees arrived; I was at one of my lowest points. My father and the Clan Elders were about to strip me of my title as heiress. I had lost to my little sister in a spar. It is embarrassing to admit that now, but Hanabi-imouto has always been wonderfully talented. I was so upset that I ran from the house. I collided with a group of bullies and they humiliated me. They were probably going to hit me, even though I was on my knees apologizing."

Naruto's smile slipped as he became angry that anyone would try to humiliate Hinata. He honestly couldn't believe she was anything but the supremely confident young woman standing in front of him.

Hinata flinched at the memory, but continued. "I was rescued. I wasn't saved by a member of the Hyūga, the Konoha Military Police, or any of the Academy teachers. It was a young boy with blond hair and more confidence than I could even dream of…it was you. You were fearless and fought the three older boys without hesitation. You took down one of the boys, but couldn't beat all of them at the same time. Naruto-kun, you never gave up. They were scared off by Kō-san, my tutor at the time. I tried to go back for you, but an Uchiha teenager was carrying you toward the Hokage tower. I wanted to thank you the next day, but the Academy was split from one class into three. It has taken me years to properly thank you, but I wanted you to know that you have inspired me every day since then. Thank you."

Naruto was struck dumb. He was still processing every word Hinata had said. He vaguely remembered that encounter, but had no idea just how significant the moment truly was. The only part of Naruto that was racing faster than his mind was his heart.

'_This is coming from a girl. A _pretty _girl.' _Naruto tried to open his mouth to say something, even a simple 'You're welcome'. He was still rooted in place by the glorious feeling of such powerful acknowledgment. Naruto was fundamentally lonely and starved for any sort of validation of his existence.

Hinata had not acknowledged Naruto's existence, but confessed that his existence had made her life better.

"Good night, Naruto-kun." Naruto felt a shock begin on his left cheek and spread throughout his body. Hinata flushed a bright red and dashed off. She stopped at the edge of the training field and shyly waved. Naruto was pretty sure he waved back. The fog in his head made it hard to really register anything other than the fact that _a girl had kissed him on the cheek._

He watched Hinata walk towards the Hyūga Compound for a few moments before he collapsed into the grass. Naruto started laughing and knew that there were a few tears mixed in with his chuckles.

His existence had been acknowledged. More than that, it was _valued_ and _treasured_.

As he realized the depths of what happened, Naruto became ashamed. Hinata was too precious…too valuable to simply be a stepping stone.

He needed Iruka-sensei…and a new plan.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Here is the #1 choice from Solvdrage's 2014 Plot ADHD Asylum! You guys went nuts over this fic and given how monolithic this chapter is...so did I! Remember how I said this fic will be _shamelessly_ NaruHina? This is going to be **_shamelessly _**NaruHina. As in...they'll probably be mutually and openly romantically involved very very soon. Like...pre-Wave soon...

Be prepared for **gigantic **chapters. I'm going to be aiming for a minimum of **8,000** words per chapter for this fic!

Again, please review! Reviews fuel my muse! A strong review response **on any and all of my stories** encourages me to write! Reviews are life!

Oh, a few notes...

1)I loved writing this chapter. Only Misstep and the first few chapters of "Forward the Windward" were this much fun to write. Like I said above, please review as a single review does more to motivate me than a thousand favorites and alerts.

2)Meet the Hyuga will be published shortly. Keep an eye out for that. It'll be my first published harem fic. Don't worry: **This story and all my other currently posted stories will remain purely NaruHina! I will never alter those stories to be harems! If my character listing says Naruto and Hinata alone in the brackets, it'll stay that way as long as I am breathing! The ONLY harems I will likely ever write will be Meet the Hyuga and "Overlord NaruHina". ALL MY OTHER NARUTO FICS WILL BE ONLY NARUHINA.**

3)The next "Asylum Escapees" to be posted will be "Naruto the Fifth Hokage", "Naruto has a Twin Sister", and "Overlord NaruHina". "Naruto the Fifth Hokage" will likely be the only one published before the New Year.

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Uzumaki Naruto buried his head in his pillow and let a particularly impressive string of curses, laments, and poetic descriptions of what Hong could do to himself fly. Iruka-sensei had been unavailable after Naruto had left his incredible training session/heart-to-heart with Hinata. So, Naruto had gone straight home and into his familiar routine of producing storage scrolls for sale. It had actually been a great experience. Naruto's work had gone beyond simply producing functional storage scrolls. He had thrown in some real artistry. The boy had gone to sleep as happy and proud of his work and of himself as any time in his life.

It was just that he had woken up to the realization that he had sold Hong out to the old man and Mebuki with a smile on his face and a swipe of the pen. Hong was probably about to be torn apart by the authorities, _especially_ if the rumors of how he got some of his other merchandise panned out. Konoha came down hard on smugglers. They were just a _tiny_ bit of a security threat. If people could get simple goods in, the chance existed to get explosive tags or scarier things into the village.

"Who the hell am I going to sell you assholes to now?" Naruto yelled at the storage scroll. Of course, they didn't respond. The fuinjutsu products happily sat on his workbench in mocking silence.

'_I guess I'll have to go check some of the other blacksmith and ninja supply stores again. If I get lucky, the old man and Mebuki might have put a word or two with them,'_ Naruto thought as he started the process of making breakfast. He was running low on eggs, but decided to boil a pair anyway. The last thing he wanted to do was let any of his food go to waste. As the eggs boiled, Naruto fixed a bowl of cereal. He chowed down on the food; allowing his mind to wander to the previous evening. Thinking of Hinata instantly caused his mood to improve.

Her speech played over and over in his head. Naruto desperately tried to recall the day that had started his connection to the young woman.

It had been early fall, Naruto thought. The weather was still just warm enough for short sleeves and shorts. Naruto sank deeply into his memories. He had heard the shouting of the boys. The scene he discovered reminded Naruto of the worst excesses the villagers had heaped on him.

Naruto remembered that the bullies took a few pot shots at Naruto's reputation. His detail-oriented mind recalled that one of the jerks had continued to prod at Hinata. Naruto growled into his breakfast as he decided to track down those little shits and pay them back. Yes, it had been years. Yes, they probably were full shinobi and did not remember the incident. No, Naruto was not willing to forgive them.

There was one part of the memory Naruto was willing to hold onto. One sliver of warmth in that whole affair: Hinata's look of admiration and disbelief. Hinata had once been like him, Naruto realized. She had been desperate for acknowledgment and support.

As Naruto chewed his food, the worry about his future economic situation was chased away by a new and welcome emotion: pride.

He was proud that he had helped Hinata. He was proud that his example had helped her.

Naruto had never felt closer to the Hokage's Hat than at that moment.

* * *

><p>Haruno Sakura occasionally felt out of place in Konoha, despite her family being well established in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She only had flashes of her earliest days as a refugee, but they were amongst her strongest memories. There were few details. It was mostly smells, an overwhelming feeling of being crowded, and the tension in her parents' voice. Sakura still felt the fear of the constant change of scenery. Childhood was a luxury Sakura had not experienced until she was six years old.<p>

Sakura loved Konoha. Konoha represented stability and acceptance. _'My parents weren't happy until we got here,'_ the young woman admitted to herself. The pinkette smiled as she recalled her first meeting with Yamanaka Ino. The blonde had been Sakura's first friend. One of the endearing moments for Sakura was when Ino had helped Sakura overcome a complex she once held about her forehead.

Her forehead didn't bother Sakura anymore; instead it represented the first events that truly tied Sakura to Konoha. The former refugee's friendship with Ino had the usual bumps in the road. Sakura had done all she could to keep the bond as strong as possible. The discovery of the girl's mutual crush on Uchiha Sasuke had been the biggest strain. They had disagreed on who had the strongest 'connection' with Sasuke for a time.

It hadn't taken the girls long to realize the foolishness of their little 'battle'. Uchiha Sasuke was still the object of their desires, but they had refused to let it divide them.

Sakura believed that she possessed a deeper connection to Sasuke than the other girls. She recognized the void in Sasuke that only came from having no real hope for the future. Sasuke's condition was not a physical or materialistic one. It was spiritual, but Sakura recognized when someone was living day to day and going through the motions.

Emptiness was a terrible thing.

She shook the fog of melancholy from her head. Her mother had given her a mission.

'_That Naruto kid supposedly helped mom with something really important. I need to give him a message from the Refugee Commission,' _Sakura thought to herself. Unfortunately, Naruto was probably tardy or skipping again.

"Of all the days for Naruto to skip," Sakura hissed. She didn't _mind_ looking for Naruto. Her mother had asked her to help out. The immigrant girl also held no strong opinion of the boy. Naruto had once annoyed her. His attempts at asking her out were crystal clear attempts to gain attention and upstage Sasuke. She had shot him down and only became…forceful…when Naruto had begun pressing the issue.

Naruto had finally gotten the idea and left her alone. The two weren't friends, but they got along well enough. Sakura even admitted some of Naruto's pranks were really funny.

And ingenious. There were still heated debates on just how Naruto managed to smuggle all of the toilets in the Remedial Grade's bathrooms out of the Academy.

Sakura just really wanted to visit with her friends before classes started. As she was beginning to lose hope of being able to visit with her friends, an idea struck Sakura.

'_Naruto made a big scene by asking Hinata-sama out. I should ask her if she knows anything,'_ Sakura decided.

The Hyūga heiress was sitting quietly at her usual seat preparing for the day. There were occasional glares or confused looks cast in her direction, but if Hinata noticed them, they were paid no mind. Sakura paused and wondered why Hinata had rejected Sasuke so vehemently, but accepted Naruto so readily.

'_Oh well, maybe she likes bad boys?' _Sakura thought with a shrug. The first-generation immigrant wasn't about to evangelize to Hinata about her choice in men. It wasn't her place to force change on people.

"Excuse me, Hinata-sama," Sakura finally decided to speak up.

Hinata smiled politely. "Yes? Is there something you need, Sakura-san?"

"I was wondering if you have seen Naruto today. My mom wanted to talk to him about something 'work related', whatever that means," Sakura explained. "He isn't in trouble or anything, but my mom wants to talk with him about a blacksmith."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I have not seen Naruto-kun, yet. He will definitely be here later today,though," Hinata answered.

'_She sounds so certain,'_ Sakura thought. "If you see him, can you tell him about my message, please?"

"Of course," the Hyūga girl promised happily. "Is there anything else you need?"

The pink-haired girl considered saying there wasn't anything, but a thought crossed her mind. "Not really…I was actually impressed by what you did yesterday. I'm still in shock that anyone would even think to turn down Sasuke-kun, but you are your own woman. It's actually a bit inspiring how you refuse to follow the crowd."

"Thank you, Sakura-san. That was very kind of you," Hinata responded.

Sakura stretched her arms over her head. "Well, it's true. I'll see you around. I need to meet up with Ino."

"Have a nice day," the Hyūga heiress responded politely.

'_That was unexpected,'_ Hinata thought before wondering where exactly Naruto-kun was at.

* * *

><p>There was a common joke in Konoha that the Hokage was constantly buried in paperwork and that his wrinkles weren't caused by old age but by paper cuts. Hiruzen found the joke amusing; because there were times it certainly felt he had been buried in the minutia of running the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He also knew he possessed one key power that allowed him to maintain his sanity.<p>

Delegation.

There was honestly very little in terms of day-to-day operations that required the Hokage's direct attention. The Nidaime Hokage may not have had his brother's or Uchiha Madara's brilliance as a tactician or in ninjutsu, but he outshone both of them in one area. Senju Tobirama was one of the most brilliant organizational minds in the history of the world. Tobirama's reforms and creations birthed one of the most efficient and streamlined bureaucracies in human history. The Hokage had no need to worry about the condition of the civilian school buildings. The small precinct councils handled those details. All the Hokage needed to be aware of was who provided the funding. Any funding from outside the village was a potential security threat.

'_Yes'_, Hiruzen thought, _'I am glad I am not a micromanager.'_

The main educational aspect Sarutobi Hiruzen cared about was the training of the shinobi under his command. Currently, he was perusing an update on the status of the Academy. In recent years, the Academy had been focused on indoctrination and quantity rather than the 'quality'. The Kyūbi Assault and the influx of refugees and immigrants had forced Hiruzen and the Council's hands. Konoha's forces needed to be rebuilt as quickly as possible. More importantly, they had to be _loyal._

Hiruzen thanked his ancestors and the Shodai for the good fortune they had experienced. Other than the short war with Kumo over a chain of barrier islands, the Land of Fire and Konoha had been spared the chaos engulfing the world. The Land of Water may have practically collapsed, but none of the fighting had reached the shores of Hi no Kuni. Instead, they had reaped the benefits of thousands of artisans, general civilians, and minor shinobi clans defecting to Konoha. It had been a glorious boon to recruitment and the economy.

The period of quiet along most of Konoha's borders had allowed a fantastic amount of the shinobi produced during the Academy's 'factory' period to survive and bond with their fellow Konoha shinobi.

'_All in all, this experiment had succeeded and accomplished its goals,'_ Hiruzen declared.

A gentle knock on the door interrupted the aged Hokage's review. "Hokage-sama…"

"Yes, Kiku-chan?" Hiruzen acknowledged the young Chūnin.

"My lord, Danzō-sama has arrived as requested," the brunette informed the Shinobi no Kami.

"Send him in," the Third Hokage ordered.

Shimura Danzō strode into the room. The village elder appeared frail and beyond his prime, but Hiruzen knew several truths. First, Danzō was a true believer in the shinobi's creed of deception and misdirection. Hiruzen had several suspicions about Danzō's physical capabilities, but lacked enough proof to move against his old rival. Second, Danzō still possessed a keen and devious mind.

Hiruzen had not liquidated his old rival for two reasons. One, the Hokage lacked the undeniable evidence to move after someone with as much political pull within Konoha. Second, and most importantly, Danzō was an ultra-nationalist.

"You summoned me, Hiruzen?" Danzō asked, but wisely remained standing.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. Danzō viewed himself an equal to the Hokage and this could not be allowed. "I ordered you here to deliver your report on the actions of the blacksmith named Hong."

"Of course, _Hokage-sama_. Our agents have followed up on his smuggling connections. The majority of Hong's contacts were low-level thugs. Jiraiya-sama's investigation, as well as my own, discovered three very troubling details. We uncovered evidence hinting at an attempt by a foreign village to use Hong's illicit activities as a means to insert agents into the village. Next, Cryptology believes a second group was seeking an 'in' through Hong's associates," Danzō began his report.

"Has Cryptology, Jiraiya, or any of our other intelligence divisions uncovered any details of these two groups?" The Professor asked.

"Our investigations are still in the very early stages. Preliminary analysis of the methods of contact, accents of the smugglers, and other details points towards the Kumo or the Nadeshiko Village. At this time, we are not sure if the second group is a minor Hidden Village or a Missing-Nin organization."

Hiruzen's gaze hardened. "I am far more concerned that the second group could be Akatsuki or Orochimaru. Devote resources to finding out exactly who this group is. They are a clear and present danger to Konoha."

"Agreed, the Intelligence Division was merely waiting for your orders. The third detail is troubling, but not a strategic threat to Konoha. The criminal organization controlled by the 'businessman' Gatō made a very unsubtle attempt to barge into the smuggling racket here in Konoha." Danzō rarely showed emotions, but Hiruzen could tell that the Shinobi no Yami was amused.

"I believe we have responded appropriately?" Hiruzen asked.

The heavily bandaged veteran nodded. "The criminals provided ample intelligence to Torture and Interrogation. Shall we 'repatriate' Gatō's men?"

"No," Hiruzen said. "At this time, he is of little concern to the Land of Fire or Konoha."

Danzō nodded. "I will leave the most current reports in your possession."

"I require regular updates on the progress of the investigations," the ancient Sarutobi commanded.

"As is your right as Hokage," the village elder confirmed. "I have heard that the Academy Reforms are on track."

"You are well informed. The courses and principles of the Remedial Program will be introduced on all levels within the year. The three graduating classes of the program have all performed beyond expectations. The current Academy System served its purpose. We indoctrinated the immigrant students and have fully recovered from both the Kyūbi's attack and the Border War with Kumo."

"The recovery from the recent conflicts has exceeded our most optimistic estimates. Your reforms have the support of the Council and a super-majority of the Jonin," the Hokage's rival assured the Sandaime.

Hiruzen took a moment to light his pipe. "A few civilian clans are complaining, but they cannot grasp the full picture. Rock Lee's success and Uzumaki Naruto's situation demonstrate that the current graduation requirements are not an accurate reflection of shinobi potential. Rock Lee has achieved incredible progress under Might Guy's tutelage."

"The reformed Academy would have passed him without the need for Might Guy declaring Rock Lee his apprentice. We would not have to worry about Uzumaki Naruto failing to graduate. His talents would be recognized as worthy of the hitai-ate. I have never seen a young man with such impeccable skill with fuinjutsu. How can we have a system that considers the basic Bunshin no Jutsu a more accurate predictor of ability than high-level seals?" Danzō ranted slightly

"Naruto-kun does not hide his skills as well as he believes," the Professor chuckled ruefully. Hiruzen paused and shook his head mirthfully. "It has been quite some time since we have agreed so fervently with each other, old friend."

"If there is one aspect we will always agree on, it is how to best serve and secure Konoha," the 'one-eyed' elder declared.

'_I doubt our opinions are the same, Danzō. None can doubt your loyalty to our village. Your methods will one day cross the line, however, and I will not let your mistakes drag Konoha into the darkness you claim to thrive in when that happens.'_

* * *

><p>Naruto's luck was certainly not on the level it was yesterday. He had taken some time to scope potential clients, but his reputation had preceded him. <em>'Either that or they knew I sold Hong out…'<em> Naruto thought.

He wasn't in the best of moods as he entered the Academy grounds. Naruto wasn't even sure if he would stay the entire day. In fact, the only reason the budding seal expert was even arriving for lunch was to see Hinata. His timing was still very good at least. The class was filtering out of the Academy building. Naruto strode into the chattering mass. He received a few odd glances. Naruto's tardiness had been accepted by a solid chunk of the Academy Class. So, Naruto was convinced that his celebration yesterday after asking Hinata to train with him was the source of the odd glances.

The fact that many of the glances were glares from dudes confirmed Naruto's theory.

Naruto moved among the gaggle of students to look for Hinata. He was feeling a bit impatient that his classmates weren't breaking up into the usual cliques faster. The boy swallowed back a huff of annoyance as a pair of girls he didn't recognize ran past. He caught a tiny fragment of their conversation. It was something about music. Naruto also knew that it wasn't about using music as a cover during missions.

They were so unprepared for shinobi life that it almost hurt. That tiny glimpse into other prospective-kunoichis' minds only served to drive home Hinata's worthiness. She was serious and prepared to become a true kunoichi, but she was still very human.

'_It's just that much more annoying that I don't know where she's at,'_ Naruto thought.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata's voice rang out from somewhere in the crowd. Naruto turned to his left as the Hyūga heiress approached. "I was worried you weren't going to show up today."

"If I didn't show up, I wouldn't get to see you as much today. I'd have to be a complete moron to pass _that_ opportunity up," Naruto confessed with a sly grin.

Hinata blushed at the intent of Naruto's words. "I am glad to see you as well."

"How did Hanabi like that practice seal?" The fuinjutsu prodigy asked.

The Byakugan Princess giggled. "She has not let go of the seal. I believe it is her current favorite toy."

_That_ revelation put an incredibly goofy grin on the young man's face. "We can work on making other colors later today."

"Hanabi-chan would enjoy that. She kept asking for yellow." Hinata smiled at the memory. "When we meet at Training Ground Sixteen, perhaps you can teach me how to make other colors?"

"Sure, what time do you want to meet up?" Naruto asked as the couple slipped deeper into their own little world.

"The Elders and my tutors are preparing for my father's return. My duties will be over by four o'clock. We can meet at four-thirty," Hinata revealed. Naruto nodded eagerly at Hinata's suggestion. The two shinobi-in-training wandered off, completely oblivious to the looks of shock or jealousy on their classmates' faces.

As they sat down, Naruto pulled a storage scroll from his holster belt. "I've hit a bit of a…_funding _issue recently, but I wanted to thank you again for everything. So, I brought something."

He pulsed his chakra into the seal and a small puff of chakra condensation appeared. Hinata was tempted to use her Byakugan to catch an early glimpse of Naruto's surprise. That idea was squashed as it would have been a frivolous use of her genetic inheritance.

"Zenzai?" Hinata asked. Excitement was clear in her voice.

His curiosity was well and truly piqued. "Sounds like you approve?"

"Oh yes," Hinata confirmed happily. "It's my second favorite food…"

The two conversed about foods for a time. Hinata and Naruto 'debated', in Naruto's case quite theatrically, which of their favorites was the superior choice in food. It was a welcome diversion and passed the lunch period quickly.

"Oh! I nearly forgot. Sakura-san needed to deliver a message from her mother to you, Naruto-kun," Hinata gasped.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Did she say what it was about?"

"I believe it had to do with a business arrangement," Hinata recalled. Naruto was pretty sure he hadn't stopped smiling since he arrived for lunch.

"I'll check with her after school," Naruto confirmed.

There was no denying the hopeful look on Hinata's face. "You're staying for the rest of the day?"

'_Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't lie to _that _kind of look,'_ Naruto thought consciously while his pride was hoping he wasn't blushing _too_ much. "Yeah."

The pair walked together in companionable silence. Naruto took a seat next to Hinata without hesitation or thought. Iruka shot Naruto a look that made his displeasure at Naruto's skipping clear. The blond-headed seal prodigy shot his favorite teacher and mentor a look that said, 'We need to talk.'

Mizuki took over the lesson. He took several opportunities to test Naruto's knowledge on chakra control. Much to Mizuki's shock, Naruto's answers were average in every way. He wasn't as brilliant academically as Sakura or Ino, but Naruto was not the worst.

"We are quickly approaching the Graduation Exam. As such, we need to have a record of your physical condition. The aspiring shinobi and kunoichi will be split into two groups. The aspiring shinobi will accompany myself and Mizuki-sensei. The aspiring kunoichi will follow Suzume-sensei and Kaeda-sensei," Iruka announced.

Naruto sighed and turned to Hinata. "I guess I'll see you at 4:30?"

"Yes. I look forward to seeing you then," Hinata confirmed.

The classes split up by gender. Naruto cast one last glance and a smile at Hinata, which caused his crush to blush a bit. The majority of the other prospective kunoichi waved and shouted their good-byes to 'Sasuke-kun'. Said Uchiha ignored the pleas for attention and fell into line beside Naruto.

Uzumaki Naruto decided to cast his net and troll for a reaction from the likely 'Rookie-of-the-year' and remained silent. He certainly didn't stop himself from grinning conspiratorially at everyone's expense.

'_I don't get the whole 'Rookie-of-the-year' being an Academy title. Shouldn't it be based on how we do after we graduate?'_ Naruto pondered. The more he thought about that title and where it came from, the less sense it made.

Naruto finally got the reaction he wanted. "Naruto. How did you pull it off?"

"What? I had nothing to do with the Great Toilet Heist!" The Uzumaki wanted to see just how far he could push Sasuke. Naruto would be one of the first to admit he saw the Uchiha as something of a rival. Sasuke was handed several things Naruto longed for simply for existing. On some level, Naruto resented Sasuke while respecting him. The 'Last Uchiha' worked as hard as Naruto, and probably as hard as Hinata, and that was something the prankster could appreciate.

"Don't play dumb; anyone who is working on seals isn't a complete idiot. You know I'm talking about Hinata," Sasuke snapped in annoyance. Naruto nearly face-faulted as Sasuke mentioned his fuinjutsu.

'_I thought I hid that a bit better. If Sasuke knows, who else knows?'_ Naruto questioned silently.

Evidently, Sasuke knew what Naruto was thinking. "Not everyone pretends you don't exist. If they didn't, maybe you wouldn't have to act like a jackass to get attention."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. Respect did not equal like. "And it eats you up _that_ much more that I'm friends with Hinata, doesn't it?"

"How?" Sasuke repeated and ignored the barb.

"How is it the one girl that doesn't trip over themselves to get your attention rejected you that hard?" Naruto finished the question. "It's simple really. Do you know anything about her? You don't, obviously. I'm actually trying to get to know Hinata. We're trying to help each other improve ourselves as shinobi. Hell, we've got things in common."

Sasuke scoffed. Naruto grinned triumphantly. He knew that the Uchiha had no counter. He couldn't even reject the idea that Naruto had no way to help Hinata improve. It was obvious that Naruto was trading his fuinjutsu knowledge for whatever help the Hyūga heiress offered.

"I still don't see the Hyūga allowing this to continue. Last time I checked, you had no social standing."

Naruto shrugged. "We'll see when that comes up. At least there's something _to _continue."

Sasuke glowered at Naruto and the Uzumaki decided to end the little spat there. _'I need to check in with Iruka-sensei, anyway.'_

Iruka had seen the confrontation. He shook his head as Naruto approached. "I'm glad you didn't antagonize your classmate further. What do you need to talk to me about?"

"Heh," Naruto sort of laughed. "Am I that easy to read?"

"Sometimes," Iruka confirmed with a full laugh. "What do you need to talk about?"

The student cast a quick look around, before answering in a quiet voice. "Hinata. I kinda need advice."

"Obviously, you want to have this be a bit of a private conversation. We can chat after school."

Naruto nodded at Iruka's promise. "Yeah, but evidently Sakura has a message from her mom. I'll have to check in with her first."

"I'll be here. We can get some ramen," Iruka promised with a smile.

Naruto's face lit up, but fell for a second, before lighting back up again. "Would be able to eat it before 4:30? I'm meeting Hinata for some training then."

"I'm glad she's helping you," Iruka said thankfully. "I really believe you can meet the requirements this time."

"Thanks, but can't I just show off _another_ jutsu?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"_Another_ jutsu?" Iruka asked curiously. Naruto nodded. "I'll try to find out. Let's meet at Ichiraku at Seven-thirty."

"Awesome," Naruto agreed. "Can I go first with the physical? I kinda want to get back to work on the new seal I'm developing."

Iruka laughed to hide his disappointment in the system. _'How is Naruto being held back by the _Bunshin? _I should try to get an exemption from the Headmaster…'_

* * *

><p>Sakura waved goodbye to Ino as the blonde headed home for her shift at the Yamanaka's flower shop. The Haruno maiden was hoping that Naruto would show up soon. His reputation as a delinquent and unapologetic truant did not speak well to his punctuality. Sakura didn't doubt that Hinata had told Naruto that Sakura had a message for him. She just doubted Naruto would bother to show up.<p>

Fortunately, she was proven wrong after a few moments of waiting. "Oi, Sakura! What's up?"

"Good afternoon, Naruto." She responded with relief. "How was your day?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "Could have been better. Could have been worse. Hinata says you have a message from Mebuki-san?"

"Y-Yes, mom wanted me to deliver a message," Sakura stammered a little bit. As far as Sakura knew, Naruto only used the proper honorific with one person. He only seemed to respect Iruka-sensei. There were rumblings that Naruto was shamefully informal with the Hokage!

Naruto watched as Sakura fished a letter out of her bag. He accepted it with surprising delicacy. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Sakura answered and watched as Naruto read the note.

His face brightened and he locked eyes with Sakura. "Your mom is _awesome!_ Tell her I'll be by that shop tomorrow! Tell her I really owe her one!"

There was something about Naruto's intense gratitude that sent a pang racing through her heart. _'Why can't I get Sasuke-kun to acknowledge me like that?'_

"I'm sure mom will be pleased to hear how excited you are." Sakura chewed her lip. "Hey Naruto…I was wondering if you could give me some advice."

"How can the Godaime Hokage help you?" Naruto questioned 'graciously'. Sakura chuckled and rolled her eyes. Naruto returned the laugh. "Seriously though, I owe your mom. What do you need?"

"Do you have an idea why Sasuke-kun seemed to be interested in Hinata-sama?"

Naruto grimaced. Sakura thought for a second that the boy would storm off in a fit of pique. "Sasuke thought Hinata would be a way to keep the fangirls away. I think he tried to take advantage of Hinata because she's determined to be a kunoichi and not a damsel in distress to be rescued."

Sakura nodded. "I think I should talk to my dad some…He used to be a Chūnin for Kirigakure before we became refugees."

"That'd be a good idea," Naruto agreed. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"I guess so," Sakura agreed. "I'll let you go. Can't let rumors start that you are trying to outdo Sasuke on the girl front."

"Yeah," Naruto said with a lopsided grin. _'Though…I think I already am. Sakura's nicer than I remember, but there isn't a girl in Konoha that competes with Hinata.'_

The pair parted and Naruto sighed at the turn of events. Everything seemed to be going so well, but that damn Bunshin was still baffling him. Hopefully, Hinata's training would put him over the top. He decided to collect his supplies for his session with Hinata later that day. There was no way that Naruto could fail with Hinata's help.

* * *

><p>Training Ground Sixteen was a bit out of the way for Naruto. The young man's usual haunts were closer to the civilian section of Konoha. He also preferred the more conveniently placed training grounds. Still, he'd be willing to head to the border with Ame if it'd help him master the Bunshin.<p>

Naruto had tried to time things so that he'd be at the Training Ground Sixteen a full ten minutes before he was scheduled to meet Hinata. He was planning on setting up his sealing supplies early and figuring out why Hinata needed today's session to be at Training Ground Sixteen. The training ground was as unremarkable as Training Ground Thirty-one. The only real difference was that it had a small, shallow pond in the southeast corner. Naruto strolled into the grounds and immediately headed to the pond. It was the only real feature of the grounds. If Naruto was reading Hinata right, that pond was likely the reason she had selected this training ground.

Hyūga Hinata continued to surprise Naruto. He had expected Hinata to arrive exactly on time or a few minutes early. She hadn't done that. She had _beaten_ Naruto to the Training Grounds. Hinata was meditating next to the pond surrounded by flowers. It was one of the most peaceful and beautiful images Uzumaki Naruto had ever witnessed. His storage scroll and sealing supplies resting in their holster were quickly forgotten. Naruto achieved a state of tunnel vision. The young man wasn't sure how long he stood there, totally entranced, before Hinata looked up with a gentle smile. Naruto realized that he was almost certainly blushing when a playful edge worked its way into Hinata's smile.

"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted warmly.

Her voice snapped Naruto out of his blissful stupor. "Yo! I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"I haven't been here long," Hinata responded warmly. "I truly hope this exercise can help you."

"It'll help me. You've helped me more in a day than anyone has in a year," Naruto commended. He smiled a bit. "Iruka-sensei and the old man have tried, but they've got a ton of responsibility to more people than just me."

"Don't forget, Naruto-kun, you helped me first," Hinata chided Naruto playfully. The Hyūga heiress rose from her meditative stance and walked over to Naruto.

Naruto flashed an appreciative grin at Hinata's supportive statement. His mind locked up again as he realized that Hinata's jacket was unzipped and she was wearing a lavender-colored athletic top. The top was the most formfitting item of clothing Naruto had ever seen _near_ Hinata. Needless to say, all of Naruto's higher brain functions decided to check out for a while.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as Naruto seemingly fell into a genjutsu. She was a moment away from pulsing her chakra to dispel the suspected genjutsu when Naruto made a somewhat hollow 'huh' sound.

"I, uh, I'm good. I," Naruto stammered and blushed. "I was just distracted by how _pretty _you were."

Naruto's blush migrated to Hinata as the boy regained a measure of composure. The young woman had been called pretty and even beautiful before. Her clansmen, particularly the elders, used the term often. However, it was simply an expectation for them. The _Hyūga Heiress_ was the beautiful one. _Hinata_ simply existed. There were others who called her pretty, but they were mostly hollow platitudes by political suitors. Once again, Naruto had taken a somewhat mundane situation and made it _extraordinary_. The way Naruto had called her pretty and the look in his eyes made Hinata feel like she was the only girl in the world. She liked that look and feeling. She liked it a lot.

* * *

><p>Umino Iruka was widely, and rightfully, considered a bit of a goody-two-shoes. He rarely complained about his situation, followed the book almost to the letter, and most certainly didn't hit the booze before five o'clock.<p>

Today was an exception. Oh, the respected teacher had no intention of getting sloshed. He had promised to meet Naruto for ramen at seven-thirty. Iruka had decided that a pleasant buzz would chase away his sour mood and…anger at several of his superiors.

First, Kuba Hachimiro was officially an insufferable old man who had forgotten that shinobi were supposed to adapt to the situation at hand so that the interest of the village could be advanced. Naruto was a true genius when it came to seals, was a very nice boy when you got past the defenses he built around himself, and one of the hardest workers Iruka had ever known. If the headmaster wanted to be such an inflexible, hide-bound,_ jackass,_ Iruka was sure that the Land of Iron could use another Samurai.

After his meeting with Hachimiro-san had gone about as well as an Iwa Shinobi attending the 'Namikaze Minato Remembrance Society' meeting next week, Iruka had done the sensible thing.

He'd gone right over the bastard's head and seen the Hokage.

_That_ meeting was a lot less infuriating. Granted, the Third was such a congenial man that it was very hard to get angry with him. Hiruzen had explained that under the current laws, Naruto would have to find a Jonin to take him on as an apprentice. Unfortunately, there was already a Jonin-ranked shinobi that had declared his attention to take Naruto as an apprentice. At first, Iruka had been ecstatic. Naruto _would_ be able to pass under the current system after all.

Then Hiruzen had dropped the bombshell that he had sent the Jonin on an multi-year S-rank mission and that the individual, whom the Hokage refused to name, would not be back for at least six months.

Iruka…may have had an outburst at that point. The teacher distinctly remembered yelling, "What the hell is the point of having a potential master for Naruto if he's out of the village? Naruto needs him _now!_" at the Hokage.

Strangely, the Hokage had not blown up at Iruka. He had smiled and commended Iruka for his strong dedication to Naruto. The Hokage had placated Iruka by informing the Chūnin that the unnamed Jonin had not been pleased by the deep-cover assignment either. Iruka had thanked the Hokage, for nothing honestly, and headed straight to the bar.

"Here I am, being borderline seditious and drinking when the sun is up," Iruka grumbled into his third glass of a brown foreign liquor that had a satisfying burn on the way down. "I hope Hinata can help you pass, Naruto. I don't know what else I can do."

* * *

><p>Hinata had just discovered a new trait that she shared with Naruto-kun. They were both very proud people. Naruto and Hinata did not want to admit weakness or shortcomings. The Hyūga princess suspected that the reason the pair hated allowing emotional wounds to show was the same.<p>

They didn't want the people who had, would, or enjoyed belittling them to have the satisfaction.

Hinata had gone through the basics of Water Walking. Naruto's enthusiasm for the chakra control exercise and shinobi skill had been infectious. Hinata had giggled as Naruto described the many 'completely kickass' ways he could use the technique. He had started to remove his boots, but Hinata had told him to leave them on. It would force him to have even better control of his chakra. Naruto had admitted that he only had the one pair of boots and some formal shoes for events like funerals and the like.

"I'm saving up to move out of my apartment. The landlord is a bit of dick and has screwed everyone over. He's a civilian, so I can't go to the Hokage about it." Naruto continued to look away.

Hinata smiled. "I understand Naruto. I-I got a pair of shinobi sandals for you to use for training."

Before Naruto could protest, Hinata held her hands up. "This isn't a handout, Naruto-kun. If you only wear them for this training, I won't be upset. I-I just want to help you pass."

"Hinata…" Naruto was caught off guard by the depths of Hinata's sincerity. "I can't repay you enough."

"I'm repaying _you,"_ Hinata countered.

Naruto nodded silently. He quickly switched out into the sandals. "So, let me guess…I use my chakra to hold myself up? Kinda like how an adhesive seal works?"

"Adhesive seal?" Hinata blinked.

"Yeah, it's something I developed a while back. I'm trying to make a more powerful version that will work on people. I figured that Water Walking is like a ninjutsu version of that."

Once again, Hinata was completely baffled by Naruto's inability to master such a simple ninjutsu. He was far beyond the normal skill level of an Academy Student. A part of her was curious as to how good Naruto was in taijutsu. However, that could wait. She needed him to graduate.

Hinata turned and walked out over the small pond. "The key is to use just the right amount of chakra to keep from sinking. When you master it, Naruto-kun, the water should feel like a training mat under your feet."

"Gotcha!" Naruto acknowledged. He was especially happy that Hinata said _when_ Naruto would master, not if. He took a few seconds to test out the 'feel' of pushing chakra through his feet. "Hey, could this be used to walk on other stuff?"

"Water Walking is actually a more advanced version of the Tree Walking technique," Hinata confessed. "Water Walking is just safer for me to teach. If you lose control of your chakra, you won't fall from a tree, possibly without being able to control your fall. With Water Walking, the worst that could happen is that you will get wet and have to swim some."

"Cool. That makes sense," Naruto agreed. He started walking out over the water, but his control was off. One foot sank slowly, while the other tried to lift straight off the water. "This…will take some getting used to."

"It is one of the most advanced chakra control exercises, Naruto-kun. I'm sure you'll master it, but it will take time." Hinata fought the urge to activate her Byakugan and give Naruto tips. His chakra control would advance much faster without her metaphorically holding his hand.

Naruto bit back a curse as his second attempt to walk on water fall flat. "The table is set up if you want to practice seals. We can start with adding yellow to the toy seal."

"That sounds like a good idea, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied.

The pair exchanged instructions and tips on the respective lessons. Naruto was grateful to Hinata as his skill with the Water Walking technique was improving. He could support his weight with chakra now. Naruto couldn't do more than take three steps, but the progress in only half an hour was very good. Hinata, for her part, had managed to create several Toy Seals. The Hyūga Heiress had moved on to creating storage scrolls. She had successfully created three after a few attempts. Her early experiments had attempted to seal twigs into the scrolls. The first two…had not been entirely successful. Truth be told, she had not been expecting the need for her calligraphy to be so overwhelmingly precise.

Once she had created a few, Hinata had felt an undeniable surge of pride.

"Yatta!" Naruto shouted out and jumped in the air. Hinata giggled at the boy's exuberance. He was evidently feeling his own surge of pride.

Hinata put aside her practice for a few moments and simply _watched _Naruto try his hardest to master the Water Walking. His progress was impressive. His enthusiasm was infectious. He had inspired her from afar and, most recently, directly. There were times were Naruto made Hinata feel as if she were the only person in the world who mattered to him.

It wasn't hard to decide that she _liked_ Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

><p>Iruka–sensei seemed a bit off to Naruto. The teacher just seemed a bit looser than usual. Naruto wasn't sure what the cause of the change was, but Iruka seemed to smile a bit easier. It wasn't a bad change, and the boy just decided to roll with it.<p>

"I'm proud of your progress, Naruto," Iruka said as they walked towards Ichiraku.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei. Hinata has really helped me out. I've actually been able to get a clone to stick around. They aren't perfect, but they are there." Naruto smiled. It was hiding his disappointment that he hadn't gotten the Clones down.

Iruka adjusted his hitai-ate. "Naruto, whatever happens, I am glad you have made such a great friend. I've really seen your Will of Fire burn brightly recently."

"T-Thanks," Naruto stammered out. Hinata was becoming a _bit_ more than a friend. Just thinking about her sent a shot of energy down his spine! _'I hope Iruka-sensei doesn't catch that detail.'_

The teacher started _laughing_. Naruto froze up in abject terror. _'It __**is**__ obvious!'_

"Naruto…your 'plan' has changed, hasn't it?" Iruka questioned gently. Naruto nodded, a bit embarrassed that Iruka was hinting at something so personal. "We can talk about it later when we aren't out in the streets. For now, let's just eat."

The teen really couldn't express his gratitude enough for his mentor rescuing him from a very embarrassing situation. His burgeoning crush on Hinata was in no way embarrassing. Talking about it on the other hand…

"I'm starving." Naruto rubbed his stomach as it growled in anticipation of his favorite meal.

"Naruto, you're a teenage boy. You're _always_ starving. Trust me, I was when I was your age," Iruka teased.

"Heh, I've been using a good bit of chakra today…and swimming a bunch," Naruto revealed.

"Swimming?" Iruka probed. There was an upward twitch of his lips as he realized that Naruto had changed clothes since the two had last spoken.

"Hinata's teaching me water walking. I…Well, I haven't _quite_ mastered it yet," Naruto confessed.

As dinner progressed, Naruto was wondering if this was what it was like to have a family.

* * *

><p>Hyūga Hiashi was a man who showed little outward emotion. He was a proud member of the Hyūga Clan, blessed with the privilege of leading the strongest clan in Konoha. His clan, his <em>family, <em>prided itself on control of their emotions. Outsiders commonly mistook control for absence.

For example, Hiashi was feeling a number of emotions as he strode purposefully into his ancestral home. The leader of the Hyūga felt relief, pride, anticipation, and joy. He could openly admit that most of his emotions were related to his daughters. The Clan's Elders may have lamented Hiashi's lack of sons, but secretly Hiashi was relieved.

Hanabi would avoid the cruel fate that befell Neji.

Cadet families could only be founded by males. It would be a naked attempt at a coup to try to _suggest_ sealing any of Hiashi's children.

There was also no cause to doubt the worthiness of Hiashi's children. Hinata did not possess the almost uncanny natural talent of Hanabi, but she was dedicated and determined. The personal growth, organizational skill, and natural grace she radiated had won over many of the Elders. Hiashi was proud that his eldest daughter was a promising kunoichi and diplomat. She would make an excellent 'face' for the Hyūga Clan. Hanabi was too young to tell what direction her career and development would take.

Hiashi was sure that both of his daughters had very bright futures.

"Otou-sama!" Hanabi's voice cried out. The pitter-patter of her feet filled the halls. Her outburst was in complete violation of protocol.

Hiashi simply didn't give a damn. "My daughter."

Hanabi hugged her father and looked up excitedly. "Otou-sama! Are you back-back?"

"My mission was a success. I will be at home for the foreseeable future. We can start working on the Palm Bottom tomorrow," Hiashi promised his daughter.

"Yay! I'll start being as great as Onee-sama! Wanna see what she made me, Otou-sama?" Hanabi asked excitedly.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "Made you?"

Hanabi nodded excitedly. She pulled a small scroll from her pockets and unfurled it. Hiashi immediately recognized the intricate fuinjutsu formulas inscribed on the scroll. _'Hinata made this? No one in the Clan has even _suggested _teaching her fuinjutsu.'_ Hinata's youngest daughter channeled some of her chakra into the scroll. She laughed happily as the scrolls changed colors. The skill it took to create such an advanced scroll made a fit of pride swell within Hiashi.

"My daughter, where is your sister now?" Hiashi asked.

Hanabi smiled as she pointed towards the kitchens. "Onee-sama is helping prepare dinner!"

Hiashi took his youngest child's hands and headed into the kitchens. Members of both the Cadet Branch and Main Branch bowed respectfully to the clan head. It was truly a blessing to be home.

"We will need to inventory the larder after tonight's meal," Hinata announced confidently to one of the cooks.

"Of course, Hinata-sama," the cook responded. Suddenly, the conversations stopped as everyone registered Hiashi's presence. As one, the Hyūga bowed to their Clan Head.

"Welcome home, otou-sama. Forgive me for not greeting you upon your arrival," Hinata said formally.

"Good evening, Hinata. There is nothing to apologize for. You were attending to your duties as heiress of the clan. Censure is the worst possible reaction to your actions. Commendation is the minimum," Hiashi praised his daughter. He was struck by how much Hinata resembled her mother as a light spawned in her eyes.

"Thank you, otou-sama!" Hinata responded happily.

Hiashi inclined his head in respect. "If I may have a word with you in private, however."

He watched his daughter try to hide her tension as she acknowledged Hiashi's request. The two walked in silence to Hiashi's office. The Hyūga Patriarch took a seat at his desk and motioned for Hinata to follow suit.

"Hinata, your sister showed me the 'toy' you gave her. I was unaware the clan had begun teaching you fuinjutsu."

Hinata steeled her resolve. She was proud of what she had accomplished. She was proud of…Naruto. "The Clan has not trained me in fuinjutsu. My fuinjutsu teacher is a young prodigy…" Hinata announced. She saw a moment of disapproval in her father's eyes. _'Does he not like Naruto-kun?'_ "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki Naruto," Hiashi repeated. "What have you offered in exchange?"

Hinata's relief mirrored her father's own. _'That was a reaction I had not expected…'_ "Naruto-kun is having difficulties with the Bunshin no Jutsu. I have been helping him with chakra control exercises. Today, I taught Naruto-kun Water Walking."

"Naruto-kun?" Hiashi asked with faux-sternness. After his beloved wife's death from a wasting disease, Hiashi had decided to take up the reins of teasing his daughters. Hanae had looked so forward to moments like this. Hinata may have her mother's looks, but Hinata's demure personality came from Hiashi's side of the family.

"Y-Yes, Otou-sama," Hinata confirmed.

"Has he treated you with the respect you deserve?" Hiashi asked protectively.

"N-Naruto-kun has been very respectful." Hinata was trying to keep her composure. Her otou-sama actually sounded like he…approved of Naruto-kun.

"Very good, I would hate to be forced to remove a potential shinobi from Konoha's forces," Hiashi responded. Hinata desperately tried not to laugh. It was so rare to see her father enjoying the moment. She was also torn between happiness that her father would allow her to explore and develop her friendship with Naruto-kun and terror that he had subtly hinted he'd inflict grievous bodily harm on Hinata's potential boyfriend. "Hinata, what else has Naruto taught you in fuinjutsu?"

Hinata sat straighter to meet, and hold, her father's eyes. "Other than the practice seals I have given to Hanabi-chan, only storage scrolls."

"Practice Seals?" Hiashi asked in abject disbelief. "Hinata, the 'practice seals' you created are far more advanced than Storage Scrolls. In fact, I doubt there are more than three fuinjutsu experts in our clan that could create such advanced sealing formulas. The skill required to convert chakra on that level is incredible."

The Byakugan Princess's eyes went wide. _'Just how skilled are you, Naruto-kun?'_

* * *

><p>Naruto and Hinata trained intensely every day for the Graduation Exams. Naruto had been shocked by Hiashi's seeming approval of the arrangement. Secretly, he wondered just how far Hiashi's approval went, but decided to focus on his upcoming Genin Exams. Haruno Mebuki had helped lift a huge weight off Naruto's shoulders. She had convinced several of the refugee businesses to purchase Naruto's fuinjutsu products. The sheer quality of Naruto's work had removed any further doubts from their minds.<p>

Sadly, Naruto still possessed a measure of doubt. He felt as if he was wasting all the help Hinata had provided over their two week training period. Naruto had truly made progress. He could now consistently create an utterly terrible clone that couldn't fool a drunk civilian with a concussion.

'_It is kind of pathetic that I consider _that _progress,'_ Naruto groaned as he trekked towards the Academy.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun!" Hinata greeted Naruto. Concern, happiness, and hope swirled together in the Hyūga heiress's voice.

"Morning, Hinata!" Naruto returned the unspoken 'good luck'. "Ready to amaze everyone?"

"I feel very confident about today," Hinata declared. Naruto could see in her eyes that she was not talking about herself. Hinata was declaring her confidence _in him_. Normally, Hinata expressing faith in Naruto, especially with a look like that, would cause Naruto's heart to race. Today it caused it to practically stop. The thought of failing Hinata was almost physically painful.

"You'll do great." Naruto decided to act on his gut feelings. He hugged Hinata. "You've done a lot for me. Whatever happens, I'll l have that."

Hinata almost cried, but Naruto's confident, probably forced, smile gave her comfort. "We'll be fine, Naruto-kun."

For the most part, Hinata's pronouncement had been correct. Naruto did fairly well on the Academic portion. His shurikenjutsu was not abysmal. He had even made up some ground on points in that section of the exam.

'_If I can rock Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei's world in the taijutsu tests…'_ Naruto was starting to weigh the possibilities. He ignored the first few fights, but when Mizuki-sensei called Haruno Sakura to the ring to face Nakada Kasumi Naruto began to pay attention.

The first thing Naruto noticed was that Sakura's stance was very different. She had always been a bit lazy when it came to taijutsu. In this fight, her stance was crisp and determined. Mizuki told the girls to begin after the proper rituals were followed. Sakura didn't waste any time and began to probe Kasumi's guard. The fight was clearly in Sakura's favor. Naruto barely caught Sakura finishing the hand-signs for the Bunshin. Kasumi was so caught up in the spar that she didn't realize the 'Sakura' she was throwing a punch at was a Bunshin. The punch passed harmlessly through the Bunshin, allowing Sakura to grab Kasumi's arm and slam the other girl to the ground. Kasumi submitted the second Sakura pinned her in place.

Sakura left the ring and walked up to where Naruto was standing with Hinata. "Naruto-kun, thanks for your advice."

"You're welcome," Naruto said carefully. He could see the look of 'concern' in Hinata's eyes. It was barely there, but Naruto was proud to say he knew Hinata better than most. "I'm sure your performance is going to get people talking. It might even get more than a monosyllable grunt out of Sasuke."

"We can hope," Sakura said with a smile. "Good luck when your spars come up, Naruto-kun, Hinata-sama." Sakura quickly walked over to Ino and began gloating of her 'amazing victory'.

The next fights were fairly standard. Kiba won his match against a civilian-born student. Ino defeated Fuki after a particularly angry fight. Finally, Hinata's name was called to face Umeda Ami. The fight's result was obvious to everyone. Ami nearly forfeited when Hinata entered a Jūken stance. Mizuki's call for the spar to begin was practically the call for the fight to end. Hinata glided forward and struck Ami's shoulder with an Academy Style strike. Naruto realized what Hinata's plan was. The Hyūga heiress was going to dominate the fight without ruining Ami's chances to graduate. Naruto's crush defeated her opponent with a snap kick to the gut that knocked Ami from the ring.

"Alright, Hinata!" Naruto called out after the girls made the Sign of Reconciliation. Hinata waved back at Naruto. Naruto was not ashamed to admit that he enjoyed the look of annoyance from Sasuke and several other guys half as much as he enjoyed Hinata's attention.

Naruto grimaced as he heard Hibachi's name called to fight Sasuke. _'This is not going to be pretty. Sasuke's determined to prove he's still hot shit.'_

Naruto's prediction came true as Sasuke defeated Hibachi in less than a minute with a fierce blow to the solar plexus.

Finally, Mizuki called Naruto's name. His match was against Chouji. Naruto was a bit bummed it was against someone so nice. The Akimichi boy smiled as he made the Seal of Confrontation. Naruto returned the smile as he returned the gesture.

"Begin," Mizuki commanded. Naruto decided to take the initiative. His advantage was speed. Naruto had to get in close. Chouji was one of the strongest students in the Academy. A few good hits would end the match in the other boy's favor.

Naruto couldn't afford to be nice in this fight. The fuinjutsu expert wouldn't be a jerk, but he was fighting to win. Naruto's first punch was blocked and Chouji responded with a quick backhand strike. Luckily, Naruto ducked the strike by a narrow margin. The blond-haired boy _felt_ the strike pass over his head. _'That would have laid me out!'_

There was no way that Naruto would win this fight if it kept going. Chouji had been trained in a taijutsu focused clan his entire life. Naruto…was winging it.

So, Naruto decided to something completely unexpected even by his standards. He took a hit. The punch hurt like _hell_, but it was to the shoulder rather than the chest or head. Naruto followed up the hit with a bulrush and managed to catch Chouji while he was off balance. The gambit paid off and Chouji was knocked from the ring. Mizuki, somewhat reluctantly Naruto noted, declared the Uzumaki the winner. Naruto helped Chouji to his feet and made the Seal of Reconciliation.

"Man, Chouji! Never let anyone tell you that you're not all muscle! That punch hurt like hell. We'll have to spar again. That was fun," Naruto praised his opponent.

Chouji flushed as he wasn't used to the attention. "S-Sure!"

Naruto flashed Chouji a thumbs-up. _'If the ninjutsu portion of the test goes this well, I'm set!'_

* * *

><p>Hinata had a bad feeling about the ninjutsu portion of the test. Kuba Hachimiro, the ancient Jonin in charge of the Academy, almost never dealt with the graduation exams personally. He simply signed off on grades and dealt with major discipline or financial issues. Hachimiro-sensei's presence gave off an ominous air. The ninjutsu exams were called in alphabetical order, so Hinata took advantage of the few minutes of 'down-time' to talk to Naruto-kun.<p>

"Naruto-kun, you did very well in your spar with Chouji-san," Hinata said encouragingly.

Naruto smiled at Hinata. He was going to thank her, but she brushed a strand of hair out of her face. The gesture was so small, yet it enraptured Naruto. "T-Thanks. You kicked some serious butt in yours."

"You're welcome…I tried to hold back some. I didn't want to hurt her chances of graduating."

"Next, Haruno Sakura!" Iruka called from the doorway. The teacher shot Naruto a quick, supportive smile before heading into the testing room.

"I can't wait to see your hitai-ate," Naruto said with conviction.

Hinata smiled. "I can't wait to see _yours."_

The moment ended quickly as the pair realized they were in a very public place. _Something_ had been about to happen. Naruto and Hinata didn't shrink away from each other, but they bid their time. The charge of the moment was almost too much.

Hinata was called in to take the ninjutsu part of the exam. Naruto wasn't worried. Hinata would wow everyone. He had no doubt about that. His faith was rewarded several minutes later when Hinata returned wearing a hitai-ate around her neck. Naruto knew that he wasn't the only guy who found the supremely confident Hinata alluring. It actually pissed him off to hear some of the whispers. Hinata wasn't Hinata to them. They only saw the Hyūga Heiress. They were only interested in her physical beauty, political connections, and bloodline. Naruto would wager his earnings from the last six orders he did for Han that they couldn't even tell that Hinata had a sister. As far as Naruto was concerned, the other guys didn't even deserve to be in the same room as Hinata.

"Congrats, Hinata!" Naruto beamed.

Hinata sat down next to Naruto and smiled. "I'm feel like I'm sitting in ants. I wish our last names were closer together. The waiting is going to be unbearable."

Naruto froze up and _swore_ that he heard a key turn to lock his spine in place. Hinata rested her head on his shoulder. "I-I'm sure everything will work out…"

Hinata engaged Naruto in small talk about the other portions of the test. Naruto enjoyed the chat, but occasionally asked questions about the ninjutsu portion. The presence of Hachimiro-sensei was very unusual. Naruto knew that the man wasn't a 'hater', but instead simply incredibly apathetic about anything and everything that fell outside the comfortable niche he had formed for himself.

'_Something obviously happened,'_ Naruto grumbled internally. _'Hachimiro-sensei is too lazy to ever actually take part in exams.'_

Naruto's thoughts and his conversation with Hinata were interrupted by a number of girls calling out good luck and well-wishes for Sasuke.

"This is going by faster than I thought," Hinata mused.

"I think we were a bit distracted," Naruto pointed out. "Time flies when you are having fun, and whatever."

Hinata nodded. She was quiet as Naruto began to psych himself up for his exam. After a few minutes, Naruto's name was called by Iruka.

"Wish me luck?" Naruto asked as he stood up.

Hinata rose from her seat next to Naruto. "No," she said emphatically. "You won't need it."

She wrapped Naruto in a hug and promised to see Naruto later. Iruka tried desperately not to laugh at Naruto's happily dumbstruck look.

"Do I need to give you a few minutes to compose yourself?" Iruka teased mercilessly.

"S-Shut up, Iruka-sensei! Next time we go for ramen, I'm eating _three_ bowls!" Naruto threatened.

Naruto's childish threat only caused Iruka to laugh more. In the end, Iruka was the one who needed a moment to compose his self. Naruto noticed that the Academy's headmaster was seated in an odd place. He really couldn't get a good look at the students.

'_He's watching Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. Why?'_ Naruto questioned.

"Welcome to the final part of the Genin Graduation Exam," Mizuki said formally. It really sounded to Naruto that he was reading off a script.

"Uh, thanks?" Naruto asked, suddenly unsure of himself.

"First, Naruto, we need to see your skill with the Henge. We need you to transform into one of us," Iruka explained. Naruto nodded and quickly turned into Iruka. The Henge was as close to perfect as Naruto had ever gotten. Hopefully, he wasn't losing too many points. The boy knew he was skirting the edge of passing already.

'_Stupid written test,'_ Naruto complained in reluctant silence.

"Very good," Mizuki said cheerfully. "Next, Kawarimi no Jutsu!"

The next sounds in the room were a dull thud, a minor crash, and a muffled curse. Naruto had substituted in time. More impressively, he had positioned himself for a counter-attack while minimizing his exposure to the other people in the room.

"Adequate," the Headmaster said. He never looked at Naruto, not really. Instead, he was practically _daring_ Iruka-sensei to say something. Naruto decided that he was going to prank the hell out of that guy once he passed his Genin exam.

"Now, Naruto…show us that you've made enough progress on the Bunshin no Jutsu," Iruka urged his favorite student.

Naruto took a deep breath. Quickly, he steeled his resolve and cried out, "Bunshin no Jutsu!"

There were _three_ distinct puffs of smoke. Naruto felt his hopes rise. Iruka-sensei leaned forward hopefully. Hachimiro-sensei and Mizuki-sensei also appeared curious. The smoke cleared, seemingly forced out of the room by the sheer pressure created by the shinobi's anticipation.

"I guess…We could say that he _did_ make clones," Mizuki offered.

Naruto simply stared at the three clones. They were practically perfect. Their proportions were correct. They were properly colored and stable. There was just one tiny problem.

"He did," Iruka agreed. "The size is well…"

"W-Why are they so small?" Naruto gaped at his clones. True, they were the closest he'd ever gotten to a proper clone. He'd even made more than one that lasted longer than twenty seconds! It was just the timing was so bad. Naruto knew he was very close and, probably…maybe, could perfect the Bunshin no jutsu with another week of practicing with Hinata.

"They are stable." Mizuki shrugged. "With his improvement in other areas, and the 'unique' talents he has…I say we _could_ pass him."

The look of hope , of excitement, on Iruka and Naruto's faces was practically radiant.

"No," Hachimiro cut in. "Testing _protocol_ dictates that for a prospective Genin to graduate, they must create at least one Bunshin that is visually indistinguishable from its creator. All the other students so far have successfully created two indistinguishable Bunshin. I am exercising my authority. _Chūnin_ Umino, Mizuki-san, Uzumaki Naruto fails the ninjutsu portion of the Academy Exam."

Hachimiro rose to his feet. "Chūnin Umino, I order your presence in my office to discuss your unprofessional behavior regarding the recent meetings with the Hokage. Mizuki-san, complete the final examinations on your own."

"Yes, sir," Mizuki said.

"I'll catch up with you later, Naruto," Iruka promised. Naruto had _never_ seen Iruka-sensei so mad. It was a minuscule comfort to the emotionally devastated young man. He watched as his mentor and the complete asshole left the room.

"Naruto!" Mizuki called after the young man, but Uzumaki Naruto had already slipped out of the nearby open window. The remaining teacher took a moment to lean back in his chair.

The world was really making this all so easy.

* * *

><p>Hinata felt somewhat hurt that Naruto hadn't even talked to her after the exam. However, she understood that Naruto's pride had taken a substantial hit. The Hyūga heiress would likely need some time to compose herself after a catastrophe like Naruto had experienced. Honestly, <em>she<em> probably needed a moment to compose herself. Hinata kept replaying the past training sessions over in her head. The lavender-eyed heiress was wondering if there was something more she could have done for Naruto-kun.

She sighed as she saw Mizuki-sensei exit the exam room. There was something unusual about his gait and mood. If Hinata had to hazard a guess, she'd say he looked amused or relieved. Desperately, she hoped he was just glad to have made it through the day.

"Excuse me, Mizuki-sensei," Hinata said politely as she approached the teacher.

Mizuki gave Hinata a deferring nod. "Is there something you need, Hinata-san?"

"Yes," Hinata said with a diplomatic smile. She wasn't sure if Mizuki knew just how unsure the smile was. There was something about Mizuki's good mood that made her nervous. "I am curious if you know where Naruto-kun is."

"No, but I promised Iruka that I'd find and talk to him," Mizuki answered. Inwardly, the teacher _seethed. _He wondered what kind of unnatural devilry the Kyūbi had used to ensnare the Hyūga heiress.

Hinata's mood visibly deflated. "Oh," the heiress managed to squeak out. It disgusted Mizuki to realize that a promising kunoichi had fallen so far.

Mizuki slipped away, scowling. _'Hopefully, when I kill that demon I'll remove the genjutsu or curse it placed on that pretty young thing.'_

It took Mizuki nearly thirty minutes to find Naruto. The young man was sitting on a balcony staring out over Konoha. Mizuki followed his gaze to where it rested. Naruto was staring wistfully towards the Hyūga Compound. _'Disgusting,'_ the teacher nearly wretched.

"Naruto," Mizuki said with forced cheerfulness and understanding.

"Oh, hey Mizuki-sensei," Naruto said without his trademark energy. "What are you doing here?"

The teacher smiled, genuinely, as he set the hook. "We came through for you. There's an extra credit exam."

"Really?" Naruto asked hopefully. Despite his desperate wish that Mizuki was telling the truth, Naruto couldn't help but remember how _adamant_ Hachimiro was about Naruto not passing. The old Jonin was also visibly angry at Iruka-sensei. Caution whispered desperately for Naruto to not take the offer. However, he had to pass. Naruto couldn't bear the thought of his dreams being stolen because of some jerk with a grudge against Iruka-sensei.

"Of course," Mizuki continued. "Hachimiro-san relented after we reminded him about your other skills."

At that moment, Naruto knew something was off. If Hachimiro cared about Naruto's other skills, he would have mentioned them after Mizuki had brought them up.

Naruto knew that he was walking into a trap, but was still almost insanely desperate to graduate. "What do I have to do?"

"There is a scroll in Hokage-sama's office. Your extra-credit exam is to recover the scroll and bring it to these coordinates after evading the teams we will send to track you down. If you are discovered, you fail instantly."

"How long do I have to evade the teacher search teams?" Naruto asked.

"That's the thing," Mizuki continued smoothly. "The search teams will be selected by Hokage-sama. Prospective Jonin-sensei."

Naruto fought the urge to roll his eyes at the blatant lie. He knew the old man. The Hokage would never have let the list of senseis not be set this close to graduation.

"When does the test start?" Naruto asked. He needed to be able to catch old man Hokage in his office without tipping off too many people.

"Right now," Mizuki answered with a smirk.

Hiruzen contemplated the latest situation facing the village as he painted. His miscalculation had delayed an exceptionally talented young man entrance into Konoha's shinobi forces. _'I should have granted Iruka-kun's request for an exception. Naruto-kun _had _made incredible progress, but simply ran out of time. This eventuality should have been obvious to me.'_

He sighed as he turned to retrieve his cooling tea. He quirked an eyebrow as he stared at his 'guest'. "I expected you to arrive earlier in the day, Naruto-kun."

"I was thinking about it," Naruto confessed. "Then Mizuki sprang some bullshit on me."

"Language, young man." The Hokage took a seat. "I notice that you dropped the proper honorific."

Naruto made a dismissive noise. He waved his hands as if the idea of respecting Mizuki was a buzzing fly to be shooed away. "He told me to steal a scroll from you."

The Hokage listened to Naruto describe Mizuki's plot. Hiruzen was impressed by how Naruto was thinking like a shinobi. Then, Naruto dropped a bombshell.

"How many other assholes like Mizuki are out there? I mean, while you're 'looking' for me, you can round them up," Naruto suggested.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Sarutobi said in his most authoritative voice. "As Hokage of Konoha, I am assigning you a C-rank mission…and elevation to the rank of Genin. Mizuki undoubtedly has inside information about the Scroll of Seals. Take it to the assigned meeting place and await my arrival. Mizuki's conditions will actually work in our favor."

"R-Really?" Naruto asked. The newly promoted young man wasn't asking about how Mizuki's plan was backfiring. He was hoping against hope that he had not misheard the wizened Hokage.

"Did I speak unclearly, _Genin_ Uzumaki?"

"No sir!" Naruto responded with unapologetic joy.

Hiruzen rose to his feet and collected the scroll. "There are powerful secrets in this scroll. You must safeguard it at all costs."

"I promise, old man."

"Go." Sarutobi motioned with his hand. "We have much to accomplish."

Naruto saluted and departed. The Hokage watched as the young man headed towards his destiny.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Hiruzen vocalized. He turned to his Shadow Clone. "Inform Hiashi of the situation. We cannot have the Hyūga Clan taking an active role in the search or all will be undone."

'_Danzō, we shall see where your true loyalties lie,'_ Hiruzen declared to the universe.

* * *

><p>Mizuki grinned ferally as he watched Iruka take off into the trees. This night was going to be liberating for Mizuki. He would cleanse Konoha of its shame by removing the Kyūbi. He would cleanse himself of his foolish and idealistic past by killing Iruka.<p>

Now, the only question was what to do _next._ Orochimaru's agents had sent out feelers, but Mizuki had been quick to _politely_ rebuff the Snake Sannin's offer. There was no way in the seven hells that Mizuki wanted Orochimaru as an enemy. The teacher honestly had no desire for 'power'. He craved wealth and comfort above all else. Orochimaru had no interest in such 'frivolities'. Orochimaru wanted conflict. It was hard to laze away in a beachside villa when you were known as an associate of the most infamous traitor to Konoha since Uchiha Madara.

It was also why Mizuki had decided against tricking the Hyūga heiress into his little plot. Hyūga Hiashi was not a man Mizuki had any desire to cross. The undying enmity of the Hyūga Clan was also something Mizuki wished to avoid.

'_No, my options are limited. I can't go to the West. That place is even more unstable than the Elemental Nations. My best bet is some of the minor nations around The Land of Water. They are rebuilding and I can fall through the cracks,' _Mizuki thought.

All Mizuki had to do now was wait. Iruka would find Naruto before anyone. Mizuki had specifically chosen Naruto's 'hiding spot' so that Iruka would find him. Mizuki knew his 'friend' very well. Iruka would search in methods no one else would, because he 'knew' the Kyūbi.

The area was isolated. He would strike quickly and then, much like his retirement plans, simply fall through the cracks.

* * *

><p>"I'm <em>bored,"<em> Naruto whined. He was thrilled about his 'not-yet-quite-official' promotion. Heck, he had done a victory dance for the first five minutes after his arrival at the ambush site. It was only after he sat down to bask in his accomplishment that he realized he still had _six hours_ before Mizuki said he'd show up. The young Genin's gaze wandered to the giant scroll of powerful jutsu sitting to his left.

He wondered why the Hokage had given Naruto the _actual _scroll of seals.

"Is he testing my ability to resist temptation?" Naruto wondered. He quickly decided this could be a test worth failing and opened the scroll.

He intently studied the scroll before wailing, "WHY IS IT SOMETHING I SUCK AT?"

Naruto calmed down and slowly read the details of the jutsu. This 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu' had some definite upsides. They acted independently. This was giving Naruto some ideas. He could send them ahead into a potentially hostile environment to prepare fuinjutsu traps, conventional traps, or even whip up local support. The jutsu was likely the solution to Naruto's road block on his original sealing ninjutsu as well. _'Yeah, this definitely has some potential.'_ Naruto started to read came across a _very, incredibly, monumentally_ important detail about the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

This detail was so incredible! If Naruto could pull this jutsu off, he could exponentially improve. This single jutsu could do more to elevate Naruto to Hokage than he could imagine. It would even, possibly, surpass Hinata's training. Naruto would always hold Hinata's training upon the highest pedestal. This Kage Bunshin no Jutsu filled his mind with hope and possibilities. _Hinata_ filled his _heart_ with warmth and possibilities on a level even the old man and Iruka-sensei couldn't match.

His first attempt was not very successful. The 'Shadow Clones' were almost translucent. There were three things that gave Naruto hope. First, there were six of them standing around. Second, three were complaining, in a somewhat weak voice, that they weren't sufficiently awesome. Third, Naruto had more success with this forbidden Jonin-level jutsu than he ever had with the standard. He was pleased that when he followed the instructions to dispel the Kage Bunshin, it worked to a 't'.

"I'm going to get it this time!" Naruto declared joyfully.

* * *

><p>Hyūga Hiashi bowed respectfully to the Hokage. The visit may have been late in the evening and utterly unexpected, but the Hyūga would show proper respect and deference to the legendary Hokage.<p>

"Hokage-sama, you honor our clan with your presence. How may the Hyūga serve the village?"

Hiruzen inclined his head. "I have a sensitive matter to discuss. Very soon, Mizuki-sensei will have likely whipped up a 'search party' to 'recover' the Forbidden Scroll claiming that Uzumaki Naruto stole it. You are to decline all requests for Hyūga assistance."

"My lord," Hiashi agreed. "If I may be so bold as to ask, why will one of my daughter's former teachers advance such claims?"

"Hinata-chan no doubt was quite upset upon her return from the Graduation Exam, despite her near flawless performance," Hiruzen hazarded a guess.

Hiashi nodded in confirmation. "Uzumaki-san did not pass, despite his incredibly valuable and prodigious talent in fuinjutsu. I am glad we are getting rid of the foolish civilian-focused curriculum at the Academy. We are producing soldiers, not fodder."

"I concur with your assessment. However, you must realize how depleted our forces were following the Kyūbi Attack and the war with Kumo." Sarutobi would be glad when the new Academy standards were in place. "Returning to the incident with Mizuki. The teacher approached Naruto after the exam with a proposition for 'extra credit'. Naruto-kun realized something was amiss, but agreed to Mizuki's plan to divert suspicion. The young man proved his loyalty to Konoha by revealing Mizuki's plot to me."

Hiashi noticed the Sandaime Hokage's amused grin. The Hyūga leader raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else?"

"Naruto-kun proved to be surprisingly far-sighted and devious. He suggested using the search to retrieve the 'stolen' Forbidden Scroll as cover to root out suspected spies, assholes I believe Naruto-kun called them."

An alien sound echoed through the halls of the Hyūga Compound. Hyūga Hiashi was guffawing. His uproarious laughter was completely at odds with his stoic image.

In her room, Hinata pondered the laughter. She was still worried about Naruto-kun, but the warmth in her father's laugh helped a little. Hinata just hoped Naruto wasn't the butt of the joke. _That_ would make her very cross.

* * *

><p>Umino Iruka practically flew through the trees as he searched for Naruto. He had a few ideas of places Naruto might be hiding after his misguided actions. He had checked Training Ground Twenty-nine. Naruto hadn't been in the urban combat training grounds. There were only a few places there that, in Naruto's words, 'didn't creep me the crap out!' Iruka had then started his sweep of the outer training grounds.<p>

"YES! YES! I'm going to be the Godaime Hokage for sure!" Iruka heard Naruto gleefully exclaim.

He came to a halt on a large limb above Naruto. It was just like Mizuki had said; Naruto _was_ in possession of the Forbidden Scroll. There was something off about Mizuki's story. _'If Naruto is abandoning Konoha, why is he still here? He could be several miles outside of Konoha by now.'_

Naruto was also dirty, soaked, and in general almost exhausted from training.

"Naruto! What are you doing here?" Iruka shouted.

"Iruka-sensei! Who talked to you first? Mizuki or the Hokage?" Naruto asked.

"Why are you asking that?" Iruka barked. "You have the Forbidden Scroll!"

"Oh yeah! I learned a kickass Jutsu from it! Even though Mizuki's 'extra-credit' thing was bullshit, this is turning out to be a pretty good night!"

"Pretty good! It is never _pretty good_ to have a posse looking for you!" Iruka revealed.

"Oh, not all of them are after me…" Naruto said cheekily and began to explain the deal and plan with the Hokage. Iruka couldn't believe his ears. Naruto was truly a shinobi. He was so proud of the boy that he could hug him.

He was forced to hug Naruto as he tacked the boy to the ground. The dull, scraping _thud_ of a giant Fūma Shuriken hitting the tree behind the pair announced the furious appearance of the traitor Mizuki.

"You sniveling _bastard!_ This was not our deal!" Mizuki roared.

"I'm no traitor!" Naruto shot back.

Iruka rose to his feet and prepared for combat. "He's a ninja of Konoha now."

"How could _that thing _be a Genin? You know what he is Iruka! Have you forgotten? Or has the Hokage's Law fooled you into thinking he's anything but that day!" Mizuki snarled.

"I know what day I was born on, you asshole! I'm more than your bad memories!" Naruto snarled back before Iruka could shout out in panic.

The treasonous teacher hesitated as he trembled with rage at Naruto's defiance. Iruka took the opportunity. "You acknowledged the law yourself! You can't tell him…Mizuki!"

"He 'deserves' to know! The little bastard was right; he is more than our bad memories! He's the cause of our bad memories! That thing is the Kyūbi! That monster next to you killed your parents, Iruka! Take it! Take your revenge!"

"On what? I don't see a Fox here!" Iruka countered verbally. He threw a few shuriken that forced Mizuki to take cover. "Naruto! Run!"

Naruto didn't follow his mentor's instructions. He was frozen as two facts waged war in his mind. He wanted to believe that Mizuki was simply fucking with his head. Iruka had defended him just a moment ago. The Hokage trusted him. Given what Mizuki had said about the law, Iruka and the old man knew.

They still trusted him.

Hinata…Hinata could see chakra and was smart. She hadn't said anything, so there was hope there as well.

Unfortunately, there was one fact that was proving Mizuki right: the seal. Naruto had seen it twice in his life. The first time had been his first serious attempt at overcoming his Bunshin roadblock. At the time, he thought it was beautiful and made him every excited to learn seals. He had no idea what it represented, but it fascinated him. The second time was during training with the Leaf Exercise.

Naruto was still hoping Mizuki was lying, but he had facts that were hard to ignore. He looked up and saw Mizuki and Iruka fighting.

'_Iruka is fighting for me,'_ Naruto observed. It was impossible to miss how Iruka constantly put himself between Mizuki and Naruto. _'He is protecting me.'_

"FUCK THIS!" Naruto roared. The outburst caused Iruka a moment of distraction, which Mizuki quickly capitalized upon. Iruka was hit with a vicious upper-cut and left sprawled on the ground. Mizuki drew a kunai and prepared to end the loyal teacher's life. Naruto did the only thing he could think of and substituted with Iruka. Mizuki's strike hit home and stabbed Naruto in the arm. The boy hissed in pain.

"This just makes killing you easier," Mizuki spat in Naruto's face.

The boy blinked the spittle out of his eyes and retaliated. "I had time to study the scroll. I learned _this! _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Three other Narutos appeared around Mizuki. There were dozens elsewhere nearby. All were staring at Mizuki with hate in their eyes. "But this…this next one is _all me! _Uzumaki Sealing Ninjutsu: Impenetrable Steel Vault!"

Naruto had poured a ton of chakra into his clones for this purpose. He wasn't even sure the jutsu would work. The fuinjutsu prodigy had never been able to practice the complete version of the jutsu. Right now, Naruto was just banking on Mizuki being too freaked out to Substitute or Body Flicker away.

"Naruto?" Iruka whispered as he watched bright orange chakra pour from the quartet of Narutos. It was completely unreal to watch as the chakra morphed to look a bit like script. The chakra audibly cracked as it settled into place.

"Seal!" Naruto cried, but it was barely audible over Mizuki's cries of shock and pain. Dark ugly bruises formed in a few places as Naruto's chakra disappeared.

"Naruto!" Two voices cried out. The Sandaime Hokage appeared out of the trees with two ANBU close behind. Naruto had never seen the Hokage in his battle gear, but he admitted that it made the old man look dangerous.

"O-Old man? Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked fearfully. He was proud his jutsu had worked, but was terrified. The thought of Iruka and the old man hating him for what he did to Mizuki was too much. "I-I promise I didn't kill him!"

"Naruto…" Iruka said gently. "I know. Mizuki is still breathing…and you saved my life. Thank you."

"ANBU, collect the traitor." Hiruzen ordered. He walked up to Naruto. "Please hold…incredible…"

Naruto gulped. "W-What is it, Old Man?"

"You have already healed from Mizuki's attack." The Hokage quickly examined the wound. It had healed with nary a trace it had ever happened. "Remarkable…"

"Hokage-sama…Mizuki…" Iruka tried to explain through his labored and exhausted breathing.

"I heard," Hiruzen said sadly. "We have much to discuss. Come, let us head to my home. I'm sure you two would like some refreshments…"

The three reached the Hokage's Residence. Naruto was incredibly nervous the entire time. The pressure of the situation built up and became unbearable. Naruto couldn't take it any longer and, once Hiruzen had closed the door to his private office, Naruto exploded.

"Am I the Kyūbi?"

"Of course not, Naruto!" Iruka answered first. "You are Uzumaki Naruto, my most annoying but somehow still my favorite student!"

Naruto choked back tears of relief. The Hokage jumped into the conversation. "Naruto, does a storage seal become the item it contains?"

"N-No," Naruto answered. If there was one thing he was confident about, it was fuinjutsu.

"I will have to go into some detail about the night of your birth. I cannot reveal everything, because there are many state secrets about that night." Hiruzen sat down and began to explain what he could. Naruto learned that Bijū cannot be killed, only 'banished' due to their nature as masses of chakra. The only way the Yondaime Hokage could defeat the Kyūbi was to seal it into a newborn baby. He had selected Naruto, because Namikaze Minato had seen great potential in the barely-hours-old child. Iruka and Hiruzen went to great lengths to reassure Naruto that he was still Uzumaki Naruto, jailor of the Kyūbi.

"T-Thank you…old man…Iruka-sensei," Naruto said through tears of relief, stress, and childish confusion.

A knock at the door interrupted the heartfelt quasi-therapy session. Hiruzen sighed before ordering, "Enter!"

"Hokage-sama," the medical ninja acknowledged with a bow. "I have the report on the traitor's injuries."

"How severe are the wounds?" Hiruzen asked. Naruto felt a tiny bit guilty, but Mizuki's treachery buried those concerns deep.

"The fuinjutsu technique Uzumaki-san used destroyed a full fourth of the traitor's tenketsu. There is severe sub-dermal trauma and muscle damage. We estimate it will take three months of extensive physical therapy before he regains full function of his right arm. His ability to wield chakra…"

Sarutobi nodded gravely. "With the nigh-apocalyptic damage he received, I believe he has lost the ability to use any chakra-based skills."

"Correct, Hokage-sama," the Medical Ninja confirmed. Naruto paled at the implications. He had no idea his jutsu was so destructive. The Medical ninja departed.

"Naruto, I am impressed that you have created such a powerful fuinjutsu technique. There are no records of anyone as young as you creating such a technique," the Hokage began by praising Naruto. "The technique is terrifyingly powerful. I am afraid that the 'Uzumaki Sealing Ninjutsu: Impenetrable Steel Vault' will have to be entered into the Forbidden Scroll."

"Is…is my jutsu really that powerful?" Naruto asked.

Iruka put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm an expert in Barrier Ninjutsu. My techniques are _supposed_ to be visible. Your chakra was visible even before the technique was finished. I could feel the power of it, and I'm not a sensor-nin!"

"W-Wow," Naruto said in shock. He couldn't deny he was proud of his jutsu. It was just that he never expected it to be so brutal. Now, he wasn't sure he'd ever try to use it again. The damage it had done to Mizuki was burned into his memories.

"Naruto…you're a shinobi now." Iruka had gotten up and was kneeling in front of Naruto. "This is the world you have chosen to enter. What happened to Mizuki…it is part of the life we lead. You will have to be prepared for it."

Naruto nodded numbly. Iruka wasn't mad. That was a comfort for the boy. "Now," Iruka continued. "I need you to close your eyes."

The blond-headed fuinjutsu prodigy did as he was told. There was a lightness around his forehead. He knew his goggles had been removed. In their place, the cool touch of unfamiliar cloth appeared.

"You can open your eyes now, Naruto…"

Naruto obeyed Iruka and was staring at his reflection in a polished tea tray. Tears formed in his eyes as he realized he was wearing a hitai-ate. "This…isn't a genjutsu is it?"

"No, Naruto, it isn't…" Iruka confirmed. The boy's eyes went wide as he realized _where_ the hitai-ate had come from. It had been Iruka-sensei's. The hitai-ate was not just a physical reminder that Naruto was one step closer to his dreams. The hitai-ate adorning his forehead was the most potent acknowledgment Naruto had ever received.

The boy launched his self at his teacher and hugged him with every ounce of strength he could muster.

"I'm bruised, Naruto!" Iruka protested only partially in jest. The Hokage simply laughed at the display.

'_The Will of Fire burns brightly in you, Naruto…'_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Remember when I said to expect huge chapters from this fic? Yeah...even I wasn't prepared for how much I wrote...I'm loving it.

Not as much as you area loving it, however. Wow! I honestly never thought this fic would be so popular. I was expecting maybe twenty reviews...I got that in a few hours! I'm in awe of you guys. Truly, I'm grateful.

Please continue the incredible response! I'm working very hard on chapters for "A Dream Hastened", "Misstep in the Right Direction", and "Shadows on the Horizon". I'm slowly making progress on a few other fics...such as "Unexpected Lord of Foxes" and "Twelve Shattered Mirrors". I'm truly sorry for how long it has taken to update those two.

Seriously though...you guys have blown my mind! Thank you all so much!


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